Destiny High School
by akatsuki-hime
Summary: The Gundam Seed Destiny Characters attending a normal high school and having a normal life. What mayhem will they unleash in Desinty High? Pairings are AsuCaga, KiraLacus, ShinStellar, & MirDearka. Expect mayhem, love triangles, and friendship.
1. Phase 01: First Day

Akatsukihime: Hi! I'm just new here in I'm also a certified Cagalli fan and I also like Miriallia. Well, enough about me and let's get on with the story. I hope you guys like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny.

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 01: First Day

The gymnasium was noisy for it was crowded with students. Apparently, they were all excited for their first day in Destiny High school. At least, that's what the freshmen and sophomore's think, but for the seniors, it was just an ordinary day.

The bell just rang and a voice spoke through the speakers. It was telling them to line up accordingly to their section. In an instant, the students lined up properly, facing the stage. A brown-haired woman, who was the principal of the school, went up the stage and promptly greeted the students. After that, she started introducing the teachers, which took a while, making the seniors bored. The principal noticed the look on their faces and honestly, she wasn't too happy with that. She sighed in relief when she finished with the introductions. Next thing on her agenda was informing the freshmen about the school rules. It was rather long but unfortunately, she had to do it.

A sophomore student of 2-B was getting impatient of standing in line and listening to boring speeches of the principal. He crossed his arms and stared at the floor while thinking about something.

Finally, the principal was done with her explanation. She called the members of the student council and told them to guide the freshman students to their appointed rooms. During this, she noticed a student trying to sneak out of the gym. She quickly called that student's attention.

The student turned around, revealing his face to the principal and to the other students.

"Shinn Asuka-kun? Not you again?" the principal said while narrowing her eyes. "Don't tell me you're trying to skip class on your first day of school? That's so typical of you. You also tried to sneak out last year too."

Shinn leaned his back on the wall as he smiled coolly at her. "Why Ms. Ramius, don't I always skip classes? And I always get away with it too." From the way he talked, it appears that he wasn't afraid of the principal.

"You haven't changed one bit, Asuka-kun. If you don't mind, please go back to your line."

"Look Ms. Ramius, I'm not going to attend school today. Besides, there's nothing to do on the first day of school. I got more important business to attend to so see you tomorrow." Swiftly, he exited the gym.

Ramius sighed in frustration as she massaged her temple. It was going to another year with Shinn Asuka, the trouble-maker of the school. He's the worst student you can ever have. Despite that scene, she still has a school to run.

_Classroom_

In class 3-A, a blonde-haired girl was staring at the clear blue skies while thinking about Shinn Asuka. That happening back at the gym made her irritated. She suddenly slammed her fist on her desk, startling some of the students.

"What are you so mad about, Cagalli?" a familiar voice asked her.

She turned to that person with a serious expression. "I-It's nothing, Kira." She answered.

"What do you mean _it's nothing_?" he retorted. "Oh I get it, its Shinn right? You're thinking about him, right?"

"Ah! You are so annoying, Kira! That's right! I'm thinking about him so what? He's my friend after all."

"I wonder why you're friends with him. He's not exactly um... _nice_..."

"You'll like him once you get to know him. Shinn is not all bad, you know..."

Kira rolled his eyes away from her. "Okay, whatever you say..." He went back to seat. Once seated, he briefly glanced at his sister. _What does he see in Asuka anyway?_ Frankly, Kira always feel jealous whenever his sister talks about Shinn. _Don't tell me she has feelings for him? I'm not going to accept it! _

A student with tanned skin entered the classroom and informed everyone that their homeroom teacher was absent. The class was thrilled about this. In this case, the class president was to take charge. There was a problem though; no student was appointed president yet.

"Okay people, please settle down and take your seats." A girl with honey-browned hair and aqua blue eyes said as she stood.

Obediently, the students took their seats.

She faced them with a kind and warm smile. "Since the teacher is absent, why don't we elect new officers for this class?" she looked around to see if they agreed.

"That's a great idea, Miriallia!" the tanned student yelled out while raising his fist in the air.

"I'm glad to hear that, Dearka. Well then, any nominations for class president?"

Kira immediately stood and said, "I nominate you, Miriallia Hawe, to be class president."

"But I've been president of our class for the past 2 years. Why don't we give others this opportunity?"

"No, it should be you Miriallia because you're very good at being class president!" Dearka told her.

"I agree with Elthman here. Miriallia, you're a responsible student that's why you're suited for the position." Cagalli added.

"My, you guys really insist on it."

_Gym_

During lunchtime, Shinn went back to school. He settled himself in the gymnasium that was currently vacant. He lay down on the floor as he placed his hands under his head. "I am so bored right now." He murmured. Even though, he skipped the whole morning, he didn't find anything fun to do in the city. "What should I do now?"

The gym door abruptly slid open, revealing a blonde-haired girl, now glaring fiercely at him. At once, he stood from his position. "C-Cagalli... What are you doing here?"

Cagalli folded her arms as she tapped her foot perpetually. "I should ask you the same thing, Shinn Asuka!" She yelled out as she charged toward Shinn and knocked him down. She grabbed him by the collar and forced him to look at her golden-brown eyes that were kind of filled with rage.

Shinn just laughed out softly in an awkward way. "If this is about... what happened earlier... then I..." Before he could finished, Cagalli immediately butted in. "How many times did I tell you not to skip classes! You're just too stubborn!" She pushed him away, causing him to hit his head on the floor.

"That hurts!" he said while rubbing the sore part of his head. "You're so violent, Cagalli. It makes me wonder why you're so popular with the boys."

"Whatever... So where did you go this time?"

"Arcade... mall... park... a food joint... um..."

"Ah... the usual places..."

Unknown to them, a blue-haired guy was observing them from outside.

_To be continued..._

* * *

Akatsukihime: I'm hoping to get some good reviews for this chapter. Oh yeah, I hate flaming so please don't give me flames... They're scary... 


	2. Phase 02: Classmates

Akatsukihime: I'm finally done with chapter 2. Thank very much for the reviewers!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny. I want to own Cagalli-sama, but I can't. sob

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 02: Classmates

The gym was filled with silence. The two students, Cagalli and Shinn, stared at each other seriously. It was as if they were playing a staring game. However, Cagalli still appeared to be mad at Shinn for disobeying the principal and skipping the first day again. Continuously, she reprimanded him and every word she said struck fear in him.

"I know... I know... Just stop it already..." Shinn pleaded.

"With an attitude like that, I wonder why the school hasn't expelled you yet."

"Even though I skip classes, I still do well in tests."

"I'm glad you're taking your studies seriously."

"It's because you're forcing me to."

"Oh yeah, that's right..." She giggled.

He folded his arms as he turned his head away from her. "You always give me a hard time." He complained. When he glanced at the door, he found a person peeking. At once, he rushed towards the door. The person was about to run away but Shinn managed to grab his arm. "Hey! Why are you spying on us?" he questioned.

Cagalli approached Shinn and told him to release the person. Without hesitation, he let go of his arm, but his eyes were fixed on him.

When Cagalli got a glimpse of the guy's face, she gasped as she realized it was Athrun Zala, her classmate and her brother's best friend. "Athrun, what are you doing here?"

Athrun faced her calmly with a smile on his face. "I was just passing by when I saw you in the gym together with A-Asuka." His voice hardened when he mentioned _Asuka. _

"I see." She muttered. She turned to Shinn and nudged his elbow. "Hey! You better apologize to Athrun this instant." She demanded.

"What did you say? Why do I have to apologize to him?" Shinn protested. Because of his pride, he didn't want to act contrite to another guy.

"It's all right. He didn't do anything to me." Athrun informed.

Suddenly, the bell rang, signaling them to go back to their classrooms.

"I better leave now." Shinn said as he tried to get away but unfortunately, Cagalli blocked his way. He plastered a fake yet sweet smile on his face to convince her to let him go.

"That's not going to work on me, Shinn." Her eyes looked at him sinisterly, making Shinn nervous. "You better not skip class or else!" She threatened.

With a quick sigh, he gave up. There's no way he could possibly go against Cagalli. He will be killed for sure. So with a heavy heart, he went to class.

"Asuka really listens to you." Athrun told her, feeling amazed by her actions towards Shinn.

"I'm his friend after all." She replied.

As they proceeded to the school building, other students had their eyes on them. Most girls were whispering how cute they looked together and others felt jealous. Since both of them were really popular, they became the talk of the whole school.

_I can't take much more of this._ Cagalli thought after she heard a guy complimenting her. It was rather annoying to have boys follow you around, giving you gifts and courting you. And Cagalli had endured them all for the past 2 years in Destiny High School. She sighed in relief when they reached room 3-A. She entered the room first and saw Miriallia sitting on the teacher's desk while discussing about the seating arrangement.

Miriallia noticed Cagalli and Athrun's presence at the door. She turned to them with a smile. "You two will be seated on the 4th row, beside Kira." She informed.

Without a question, both of them quietly went to their seats.

Cagalli was pleased to see that her seat was still near the window. She loves gazing at the sky as she daydreams. The sky would usually calm her mind whenever there are tests and pop quizzes. She felt lucky to be seated there.

On the other hand, Athrun was thrilled being seated right next to Cagalli and Kira.

_Room 2-B_

The homeroom teacher was passing out his lesson plan to his students and at the same time, he was explaining the classroom rules. He was so busy talking that he didn't even notice the students mumbling about him. As he went back to his desk, he found a paper with an illustration on it. To his displeasure, it was a nasty drawing of himself. Angered by this, he slammed a book on his desk, catching the students' attention.

"Who did this?" He showed the drawing to the class, making them laugh. "Don't laugh!" He observed his students as he was trying to figure out which one of them was guilty. His eyes caught sight of Shinn who was relatively sniggering. He marched towards Shinn and glared at him.

"What is it, Mr. Thrine?" Shinn asked innocently.

"Don't play dumb with me, Asuka. I know you're the one who did this." He showed the drawing to Shinn.

"Hmph... What makes you sure I did that? It could've been somebody else."

"You always play pranks on teachers so it must've been you."

"Even though I always play pranks on you teachers, it doesn't mean I did that."

Apparently, Shinn proved a point, making the teacher speechless. In turn, the teacher went back to his desk and settled down on his chair.

Shinn muttered out a soft _Yes _as he smirked. _He's one dumb teacher that's for sure._ His eyes shifted to a blonde girl with magenta eyes. She was cute and hot! _Stellar is still beautiful as ever. _Shinn has been in love with her since junior-high. To him, Stellar was an angel.

His classmate and seatmate noticed Shinn staring at Stellar. He waved his hand in front of Shinn's face, trying to get his attention. Alas, it didn't work for he was so focus at Stellar that he began to daydream. "Shinn... Hey!" He called as he grabbed his shoulder.

At that, Shinn snapped out of the trance. He looked at his seatmate with a what-do-you-want look.

"You give the impression of being an idiot every time you look at Loussier." He snorted.

"Huh? So what, Yzak? I like her and that's that." Shinn retorted. Placing his elbow on the table, he leaned his face on his hand as he turned back at this friend, Yzak Joule.

"When are you going to tell her about your damn feelings?"

"I'll tell her someday."

"And when will that be, stupid?"

"Soon and don't call me stupid, you jackass!" He raised his voice, which was loud enough to be heard by the whole class.

The teacher got furious with him. "Shinn Asuka, shut your mouth this instant!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" He blurted out mindlessly. He faced Yzak again, this time with a clenched fist and angered eyes. "You want to fight?"

Yzak wasn't a bit afraid of him. "You want a fight? I'll gladly give you one." He stood up and made a defensive position.

Trouble-maker Shinn doesn't back away from any fight, so he positioned himself as well. He was prepared to attack Yzak, when suddenly...

"Stop that, you two! The classroom isn't a place for fights!" a girl with red-violet hair scolded them. She went in between them and pushed them back to their seats. "Your fight will have to wait until class is over."

"Nobody tells me what to do, especially a girl like you." Shinn told her.

"Don't you act tough with me, because you don't scare me one bit."

"Acting brave as usual," Yzak remarked. "You know that kind of talk doesn't concern Shinn at all, Lunamaria Hawke."

"I beg your pardon."

"If I were you, you should leave Shinn alone..."

Lunamaria glanced back at Shinn, only to see his furious red eyes. It was scary. She has never seen that kind of eyes before. It was like the eyes of a killer. Without another word, she went back to her seat quietly.

Shinn and Yzak laughed at her, making Luna feel bad.

At this point, the teacher just sighed. _What am I going to do with these students? _

_To be continued..._

* * *

Akatsukihime: Yes, I know that a lot of them are so OOC, but please bear with me. I want to see reviews but I don't want to see flames. Next chapter will be updated soon, ja ne! 


	3. Phase 03: School Clubs

Akatsukihime: I almost got banned from computers because my mom caught me surfing the net in the middle of the night. Well, I'm good with excuses so I pulled through with that. Oh yeah, thanks for the reviews!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny.

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 03: School Clubs

It was the second day of school. It was time for the students to pick a club they want to join. The recruitment was being held in the gym, where the club organizers already took their place in various stands. There was the basketball club, soccer club, running club, the ever popular cheerleading club, and etc.

Cagalli and Kira, being members of the running club, were busy gathering the application forms. Apparently, a lot of freshmen were interested in joining their club. The coach was rather pleased to see this.

On the other side of the gym, a group of good-looking girls were signing up for the cheerleading club. The team captain and sophomore student, Fllay Alster, informed each and every one of them about the date and venue of their audition. She performed a back flip and twirled her baton. As she faced her audience, she smiled and winked an eye. The aspirants were so amazed by her performance, making them more eager to join.

"Fllay-chan, you're so wonderful!" a crowd of boys cheered for her. "You're the best cheerleader of all. You're too great!" One of them was already whistling and the others were howling like a wolf.

"Thank you!" Fllay waved a hand at them.

Lunamaria, who happened to pass by, noticed her cousin flirting with the boys. "She's at it again." She mumbled, not knowing that she felt kind of jealous. "She's just popular because she's a cheerleader."

"I think she's popular because she's pretty, smart and talented." A red-haired girl suddenly popped behind Luna, startling her a bit.

"Oh... it's just you, Meyrin." She said in a low voice. "So did you join a club?"

The pigtailed girl shook her head. "I'm not planning to join any club." She looked at Fllay briefly before turning back at her sister. "I'm just going to concentrate on my studies."

"You think clubs will get in the way of your grades, right?"

"No, it's not that at all." She replied meekly. "I'm going to greet Fllay over there. See you later, Onee-chan!" She approached the cheerleader, who was currently showing some moves again. "Hello Fllay!"

At once, Fllay paused to glance at her red-haired cousin who was a year-younger than her. "Meyrin-chan, what do you want?" she asked. "Do you want to join the cheerleading club? I think you'll make a fine cheerer, since you're a great dancer."

"Me," she pointed herself, "a cheerleader? You have got to be kidding." She lightly laughed. "I'm sorry, but I don't have time for cheering."

Fllay sighed. "And it's because you want to study, right?" She said knowingly.

"Of course..."

Cagalli was getting hungry so she decided to leave her post for a while. She was planning to go the cafeteria until she noticed Shinn resting on a tree branch. _He's slacking off in a place like that! He could fall off and get hurt! _She marched towards the tree and kicked it hard enough to shake it.

At this, Shinn immediately woke up and grabbed onto the tree branch so he won't fall off. He gazed down and saw Cagalli, looking rather pissed at him. "What were you trying to do! Do you want me to end up with broken bones!" he yelled out.

"Is that really the right place for you to sleep?" she questioned him in a rough tone. She kicked the tree again, trying to make Shinn fall. "Come down here, right now!"

Submissively, he climbed down the tree. As soon as he reached the grown, Cagalli hit his head. "Ouch! What was that for?" He wailed.

"I just remembered something." She narrowed her eyes at him, making him feel nervous. She pointed a finger near his face as she said, "You're a member of the running club too! Instead of doing nothing here, why don't you help Kira recruit new members?"

"Hey, I quitted that club a long time ago!"

"Is that so? Then I'm going to make you a member again."

"You can't do that."

"Oh I can and I will..."

Defeated once again, he didn't say another word to her. Without delay, he rushed to the gym to help Kira.

"He's so hard to handle." Cagalli muttered. She admitted that Shinn can be so immature at times, but he is still an important friend to her.

Resuming her trip to the cafeteria, she passed by the soccer field, where she saw Athrun playing a game with his teammates. She stopped to watch it for a while.

Athrun was doing a good job evading his opponents. As he neared the goal, he kicked the ball in mid-air and kicked it hard, sending it straight to the net.

"Okay team, we need to practice some more." He informed his team.

When he was going to dribble the ball, Cagalli showed up and snatched it away. She began bouncing the ball on her head as she faced the soccer team confidently. "Who wants to play against me?"

"Ah! It's Cagalli-sama! Cagalli-sama is here!" the players roared, feeling happy to see her.

Athrun took a few steps forward. "I'll play against you, Cagalli." He challenged her. "I won't be easy on you."

"Give me your best shot Athrun."

The players stepped out of the field and seated themselves on the grass. They were about to see a match between two famous athletes, making them excited. During this, they wondered who will win.

Cagalli started by making a fake to the left, completely fooling Athrun. On her way to the goal, Athrun tried stealing the ball from her. At one point, he managed to kick the ball away and immediately, he went after it. Cagalli wasn't going to back down that easily, so she rushed towards him and swiped the ball back. When she neared the goal, the goal keeper prepared for defense. A smile came to her face, feeling positive about it. With one swift kick, she sent the ball flying to the net.

The players cheered tremendously for her. "Cagalli-sama is so great! Good job, Cagalli-sama!"

Hearing them say that over and over again was kind of giving her a headache. It was completely annoying for her. Yet, she felt good winning her match against the star soccer player, Athrun Zala.

Athrun admitted his defeat and even compliment Cagalli on her skills. "I bet there's nothing you can't do, Cagalli. You're good at all sorts of sports."

"I'm just doing the best I can." She humbly replied. Truthfully, sports have always been her passion since she was a little girl. She would always try out different things and never gives up until she gets it.

Unexpectedly, a flash of light caught their attention.

"I got it!"

Cagalli gasped, realizing Miriallia just took a picture of her and Athrun. "What the hell are you doing!"

"You look cute here." Miriallia looked at the picture through her digital camera. "I'm going to print this and frame it."

"I'm not going to let you."

"Oh come on Cagalli, just chill. I was merely kidding."

"You better be. Anyway, aren't you supposed to be helping Elthman recruit members for the school newspaper?"

"I'm just taking a break."

Speaking of break, I better head to the cafeteria for a bite to eat." She heard her tummy growling, telling her to feed it. She bid good-bye to Milly and Athrun, and quickly took off.

Athrun moseyed over to Miriallia's side and told her to give a copy of the picture she just took.

She nodded her head in reply.

_Gym_

Stellar Loussier, a member of the tennis club, was constantly being admired by the boys as well. She was currently wearing her tennis uniform, making the boys drool. Though it was bothersome, she still had to face them in order for her to recruit new members.

As her eyes wandered around, she spotted Shinn, looking really bored at the moment. Somehow, she found the boy to be attractive, despite that he was a menace to the school. Perhaps, Shinn reminds her so much of her deceased brother for they hold similar qualities.

_To be continued..._

_

* * *

_

Akatsukihime: That's the end of chapter 3. I'll try to stay out of trouble so mom won't ban me from computers or internet. I'll die if that happens... I'll be expecting some reviews. No flames please, because I will just ignore it. The romantic parts will be coming soon, so please be patient.


	4. Phase 04: Admirers

Akatsukihime: I'm having fun writing fics. I'm glad JC-chan told me about I don't own the Gundam Seed Destiny Characters.

Fan mode: I love Cagalli-sama and Miriallia-san!

Description of School Uniform: _For the females, it's a sailor-type uniform with white blouse and light blue collar, along with a blue mini-skirt. The males wear a white polo shirt with neck ties and a light blue coat to cover it, together with white pants to match it. _

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 04: Admirers

Since it was the 2nd week of school, students were required to wear their school uniform. The students were currently gathered at the gym for inspection, being conducted by the student council members.

In the line of class 1-A, Auel Neider was frequently looking at Meyrin Hawke, admiring her as usual. Although, he does not know her much, he believes that Meyrin is the right girl for him. With confidence, he approached the pigtailed girl and greeted her with a smile, capable enough to melt a girl's heart. But when Meyrin faced him, she just said a simple hello and continued her conversation with her fellow classmate. To his disappointment, his killer smile didn't work on her. Still, he was determined to win her affections no matter what.

"How do I get a girl like Meyrin Hawke to notice me?" He devised a plan on courting her.

Meanwhile, a student council member was presently checking Shinn's uniform. The guy noticed how unruly his uniform looked so he gave Shinn a demerit point. As soon as he wrote Shinn's name on the paper, Shinn suddenly swipe it away. The guy demanded it back, but Shinn gave him a death glare.

"P-please... give it back to me... Asuka-san." The student council member, frightened by Shinn, pleased nicely.

"If you want it back, then erase my name here." Shinn ordered.

Scared of being beaten to death, he complied with Shinn's request. He erased the name from the list. "O-okay... I erased it." He said nervously.

Shinn plastered a smirk on his face. "That's good to hear. Now get out of my sight!"

At once, the guy ran off like a little kid who has seen a ghost. It was hilarious, making Shinn laugh. Despite his moment of pleasure, he was suddenly hit on the head by someone. He dropped to his knees as he massaged his head. "That really hurts!" He growled. He was about to attack the person until he saw that it was Cagalli. He immediately stopped. "Um... Hi there, Cagalli! What's up?"

"I saw you threatening that student council member," said Cagalli.

"He gave me a demerit point because of my uniform."

Cagalli observed his attire for a moment. Shinn was wearing his uniform improperly as usual. He wasn't wearing a necktie, his shirt was unbuttoned, and his sleeves were folded up. No surprises there for Cagalli, since she knew Shinn liked dressing up that way.

"If that guy tells the student council president you'll be in trouble like last year." She reminded him.

"Yeah... Yeah...I know that." He answered like he didn't care.

_Class 3-A_

During class time, the homeroom teacher, Erica Simmons was getting the students to introduce themselves. When she calls a student, he/she goes in front and tells a little something about themselves. She found it very interesting to know the students' hobbies, interests, and favorite subjects. As she checked her attendance sheet, she called on Kira Hibiki.

Without delay, Kira went in front and greeted the teacher first. He faced the class coolly with a smile, making the all the girls, except for Miriallia and Cagalli, giggle like crazy. "I'm Kira Hibiki, a member of the running club and brother of Cagalli over there." He pointed at her sister.

Erica shifted her eyes towards the said girl. "She's so cute." She blurted out.

After hearing that, Cagalli suddenly blushed. _What did she just say? _She rapidly shook her head, trying to remove her uneasy feeling. She looked at the teacher who was smiling at her. Indeed, she admitted that Erica is pretty. _Okay, Cagalli just calm down. It was just a compliment._ She crossed her arms and turned her head at the window.

"What is this? Is Hibiki-san embarrassed?" The teacher giggled as she placed her hand on her cheek.

"No, I'm not!" Cagalli answered back while slamming her hands on her desk. Realizing how disrespectful that was, she apologized to teacher, "I-I'm sorry."

"It's all right. Anyway, you are a cute girl."

Suddenly, one of the guys in the room stood and raised his fist. "That is so true, Miss Erica. Cagalli is one the cutest, prettiest and athletic girls in Destiny High!"

Several guys joined him as well in complimenting Cagalli. "Cagalli-sama is talented too. She can do anything! She's wonderful!" They kept going at it until Erica and Kira got irritated.

"Will you guys shut up!" Kira yelled out as Erica said in the same time, "Please pipe down!"

Instantly, the fan boys took their seats and stayed quiet.

Cagalli sighed in relief. "I'm glad that's over. If Kira and Miss Erica didn't stop them, I would've given them a piece of my mind." She murmured.

"Aren't you pleased to see that you have so many admirers?" Athrun softly whispered in her ear.

This startled Cagalli a bit, almost making her fall out of her seat. "Athrun... Please don't do that."

"I'm sorry." He replied.

_Lunch Time_

Dearka was at the roof top, eating lunch while waiting for his friend to arrive. As he took the last bite of his hamburger, a silver-haired guy sneaked up on him and gave him quite a scare. Dearka thought he almost died of heart attack, because his heart was pounding like crazy.

"What is this? Is Dearka Elthman a Coward?" the guy known as Yzak laughed at him.

"Yzak, I told you not to do that anymore!" Dearka told him while holding a fist near his friend's face.

"I'm sorry but I just couldn't help it."

"Yeah right..."

Yzak sat down beside Dearka and leaned his back against the wall. He pulled out his cell phone and pressed some buttons, accessing him to the image gallery. He then showed Dearka a picture of Shinn getting hit by Cagalli.

Dearka simply laughed at this. "Asuka got in trouble with Cagalli again. He's such a fool."

"I'm going to print this. I'm planning on blackmailing Shinn." Yzak smirked.

"Hey! Don't you dare do that! It's wrong!" Dearka reprimanded him.

"I was just kidding, Dearka. You know I'm not the kind of person who would do that."

Dearka stayed quiet for a moment. He was thinking of asking Yzak about Miriallia. He's been in love with her for a long time and yet, he hasn't confessed his feelings. He's such a dork when it comes to love. He believed that Yzak would know what to do.

"Yzak, you've got to help me with Miriallia. How can I tell her how I feel about her?" He said.

"You mean Hawe? Well, just say that you love her and that's it."

"Yzak, come on! I'm pretty desperate here."

"Okay... Okay... I'll help out, but with a price." Yzak said that in order to discourage Dearka from asking his help, but unfortunately it didn't work. Apparently, Dearka was ready to give anything for the sake of love. With that kind of determination, Yzak decided to lend a hand. Dearka was his best friend after all and he knew how careless he could be when it comes to courting a girl.

_After Class_

On his way to the soccer field for practice, Athrun met Kira near the gym. He noticed Kira wearing his athletics uniform, meaning he was going to practice as well.

"How's your team doing?" Athrun asked.

"It's doing fine. Our new coach, Mr. Arnold Neumann is really great." Kira replied deliberately. "The team has some new members and most of them are rookies."

"I see." He was going to ask another question about the team when suddenly, Cagalli popped into his head. "Um... Kira... Is Cagalli already... practicing?"

Kira narrowed his eyes as he patted Athrun's shoulder. Frankly, Kira knew Athrun's crush on his sister. It was okay for him, since his best friend was a nice guy.

"Athrun, when are you going to tell her?"

"I'll tell her someday." He replied timidly.

Even though he said that, he didn't really know when. For sure, he would find the right time to say it.

_To be continued..._

* * *

Akatsukihime: Athrun loves Cagalli, Shinn loves Stellar, Auel loves Meyrin, and Dearka loves Miriallia. What about Kira? Don't worry he has a girl too. Two characters will be introduced in the next chapter. Until then, please review and no flaming. 


	5. Phase 05: Playful Emotions

akatsuki-hime: Like I said in the previous chapter, I will be introducing two new characters. Try to guess who they are...

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny.

**Destiny High School**

* * *

Phase 05: Playful Emotions 

The classrooms were filled with students who were presently having their classes. Some listened to boring discussions of the teachers and some just slept. Others were busy gossiping with their seatmates and others were busy e-mailing through the use of cell phones. It was yet, another dull day for the students who were doing their daily routines in school.

Dearka, instead of paying attention to the teacher, was admiring Miriallia Hawe again. Thinking back what Yzak told him about confessing his feelings, he wasn't sure if he could do it. He hit himself lightly on the head, trying to convince himself to be more confident. In the midst of his thoughts, a voice called his attention. His eyes quickly shifted to the teacher who was now glaring at him.

"Elthman, I called you 5 times already." The teacher informed him.

"Is that so? I-I'm sorry about that." He laughed awkwardly while scratching his head. "Silly me..." During this time, he noticed Miriallia looking at him. _Oh no, she might think I'm an irresponsible student who doesn't even listens to teachers. Well, in fact I am but I don't want her to see me that way. _He bowed his head, trying to hide his face from her.

_Class 2-B_

During English class, Stellar wandered her eyes over to the seat beside Yzak. She wanted to catch a glimpse of Shinn's face, but to her disappointment, he wasn't there. As expected, Shinn has skipped classes again. She was about to bring her attention back to the teacher when suddenly,

"Sorry I'm late..." Shinn said as he entered the classroom.

The teacher slammed her notebook on her desk, feeling irritated about Shinn's tardiness. "Asuka-kun, this is the 3rd time this week!" She glared at Shinn as she crossed her arms. "And what is your excuse this time?"

Shinn thought about it for a while. "Well... I..." He looked at the teacher calmly and said, "I've ran out of excuses."

"Asuka-kun, report to the principal's office right away." She tried to control her anger.

But Shinn just moseyed over to his seat and sat down. He even greeted Yzak as well, as if he was trying to show the teacher that he didn't care.

The teacher was about to lecture him again when Stellar stood and stopped her. "Loussier-san, what is it?" she asked.

"Miss Caldwell, why don't we continue our lessons?" Stellar said hoping that she would lay off Shinn.

Knowing that it's pointless to knock some sense into Shinn, Asagi Caldwell just went on with her discussions.

Stellar smiled in contentment. She took her seat and glanced at Shinn who was also looking at her. Unexpectedly, both of them blushed!

_Library_

Meyrin was researching about Molecular Theories for her Science homework. She picked out a lot of books and brought them to the table. She scanned through each and every one of them while taking down important notes as well. She continued doing so until her sister, Lunamaria entered the library.

"Onee-chan?" muttered Meyrin as she looked at her sister.

Luna spotted her sister and approached her. "What are you doing?" she asked. She swiped the book that Meyrin was holding and read the cover page. She sighed when she found out that it was a science book. "Why are you reading this? This is so boring." Luna complained.

Meyrin stood and took the book back. "For your information, Onee-chan, I need this book for my homework." She hissed.

"You're diligent as ever, Meyrin. That's what I like about you."

"Oh really... So what brings you to the library?" Meyrin said as she found it odd for Luna visiting her least favorite place in the school.

Suddenly, Lunamaria grabbed Meyrin's arm and pulled her out of the library. "Onee-chan, where are you taking me?" she asked, but Luna didn't reply her. She just kept pulling Meyrin until they reached the lockers.

"Okay, we're here."

"What are we supposed to do here?"

"Fllay is going to introduce you to her cheerleading team. For some reason, she really wants you to join."

Although, she was happy to hear that, she still had no plans in joining the club.

_Hallways_

Fllay, wearing her cheerleading outfit, hurried off to meet her two cousins by the lockers. But she stopped when she realized that she forgot her baton. _Why did you forget it, Fllay? Now I have to go back to get it. _She complained in her mind. As she was running back to the changing room, she bumped into two pink-haired girls.

Maintaining her balance, she avoided herself from falling. Unfortunately, the pink-haired girls fell butt first on the floor. As she looked closely at them, she realized who they were. "Lacus Clyne and Mia Campbell?" she gasped as she pointed a finger at them.

Mia stood while rubbing her butt. "That hurts..." She then glared at Fllay with her dark blue eyes. "Watch where you're going!" she yelled.

"Hey, I'm sorry about that. It was an accident." Fllay promptly replied. Knowing that she would get into an argument with Mia, she just apologized, hoping that she will let her through. She was in a hurry after all. She can't let her cousins wait for her any longer.

"I think you did that on purpose, you red-haired freak."

Aggravated by this, Fllay's patience just reached a critical limit. "Who are you calling a freak, you bitch!"

Lacus tried to stop them from proceeding any further with their senseless argument. She tried calming her sister down as she pulled her back away from Fllay.

"Lacus, let go of me!" Mia demanded. She freed herself from Lacus' hands and pushed her against the wall. "Don't interrupt me when I'm talking to that bitch!" She glared back at Fllay, this time with a clenched fist.

"You want to fight? Bring it on!"

Knowing that it was impossible to stop them, she took her leave. She settled herself in a nearby classroom. She grabbed a chalk and wrote her sister's name on the board. _Why can't Mia and Fllay-san get along? I think they'll make great friends, but they've been fighting ever since they met. _Lacus always witnessed Mia and Fllay's rivalry over the past years. They never give in to one another. She prayed that someday they would reconcile. _What am I thinking? That will never happen._ She sighed.

With nothing else to do, she decided to sing a song.

_konna ni tsumetai tobari no fukaku de  
anata wa hitori de nemutteru _

inori no utagoe sabishii nohara wo  
chiisana hikari ga terashi-teta

anata no yume wo miteta  
kodomo no youni waratteta  
natsukashiku mada tooku sore wa mirai no yakusoku

itsuka midori no asa ni itsuka tadoritsukeru to  
fuyugareta kono sora wo shinjiteiru kara  
Fields of hope

umarete kita hi ni dakishimete kureta  
yasashii ano te wo sagashi-teru

inori no utagoe hitotsu kiete  
mata hajimaru tayorinaku setsunaku tsudzuku

itsuka midori no asa e subete no yoru wo koete  
sore wa tada hitori tsutsu mitsukete yuku basho dakara  
ima ga tada kono mune de anata wo atatametai

natsukashiku mada tooi yasuragi no tame ni  
Fields of hope

natsukashiku mada tooi yakusoku no nohara  
Fields of hope

"Your voice sounds lovely as usual." A familiar voice startled her, causing her to clamp her lips with her hands. As she looked at the door, she saw a blonde haired girl smiling at her.

"Cagalli-san?" spoke Lacus. "What brings you here?"

"I was just passing by this room until I heard your voice."

"I see." She brought her attention to the window, where she spotted some students leaving the school gate.

Cagalli walked over to her side. For a second, she glimpse at Lacus' face, noticing how angelic she looked. Suddenly a question popped into her head, so she asked Lacus, "Um... Clyne... do you have a boyfriend or maybe a fiancé?"

Lacus plainly shook her head. "No, I don't. I'm still available."

"That's hard to believe. Lots of boys in this school are practically worshipping you and yet, you still don't have a boyfriend."

"I can say the same thing about you, Cagalli-san."

Cagalli blushed at what she said for it was true. In fact, she has so many admirers. But hidden deep within her heart, was her love for a certain guy she knew so well. Her heart would always skip a beat whenever she thinks about him.

_Lobby_

Cagalli stopped by at the lobby before heading to the changing room. She thought about what Lacus said after she left the classroom. _I can say the same thing about you, Cagalli-san. _It plagued her somehow. It made her wonder if the guy she loves loves her back. _What if he doesn't love me? _She tried to shake off the uneasy feeling from her heart.

Athrun walked into the lobby and saw Cagalli standing idly in one corner. "Cagalli," he called out, "I've been looking for you everywhere." He approached her. By the time he got a close look of her face, he was shocked to see how sad she looked. "Cagalli, what's the matter?" he asked, feeling concern for her.

Snapping back to reality, Cagalli immediately smiled at Athrun. "Um... It's nothing. I was just thinking about practice." She made up a lame excuse.

Athrun didn't buy it one bit. He knew that something was bothering Cagalli, so he insisted on asking her. But Cagalli kept telling him that she was fine. "Are you really sure?"

"Yup, I'm sure. You worry too much, Athrun."

"Because I care about you..." he said in a low voice.

"What did you say?" she asked because she didn't hear his sentence.

"Um... I said... that I'm... a concerned person... Yeah, that's it." He lied. _That was a close one._

"Oh, okay..." She showed a cheerful expression to him.

Seeing her smile was enough to complete Athrun's day. For him, her smile was like an angel's smile from heaven. It would always please him whenever he's troubled with school and problems at home. It was like a cure for sadness. To him, Cagalli's smile was priceless.

_To be continued..._

* * *

akatsuki-hime: The two new characters introduced here are Lacus and Mia. I know it's very unlikely, but they're twins here. Why is Mia's last name still Campbell? She's an actress in this fic, so she's using a screen name. Her real family name is Clyne. 

That's all for this chapter. I will update the next chapter soon, so please wait until then. Please review and no flaming!


	6. Phase 06: Rivals

Akatsukihime: In the previous chapter, I introduced two characters, Lacus and Mia. Thanks to the reviews, I have completed this chapter. Please enjoy reading it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny.

**Destiny High School**

* * *

Phase 06: Rivals

Classes were going on in Destiny High School. For class 3-A, they were having Math, a subject hated by most students. Usually, students wouldn't even listen to it. Luckily, their current teacher, Andrew Wartfeld, made it easy for them to understand. In addition to that, he was a funny man and not at all, boring.

While discussing about Polynomials, he noticed vacant seats beside Athrun Zala, the student he mainly admired for his inconceivable knowledge in Math. Checking the seat plan, he found out those seats belonged to the twins, Kira and Cagalli Hibiki.

"Zala, where are the twins?" he asked Athrun.

Athrun stood as he was called. He promptly answered the teacher, telling him where Kira and Cagalli were at. "Both of them are training for the Athletics Competition being held in this school next week." He took out two excuse letters from his bag and gave it to Andrew. "I'm sorry if I forgot to give you these. The coach excused them for this day."

"I don't see the reason why running is more important to them than studying." He said, after reading the letters.

_Track and Field _

Cagalli was in position, breathing deeply, trying to calm herself down. Her heart was pounding, feeling the excitement of the sport. She gazed out to the field and saw her brother waving at her, telling her good luck. She smiled. She heard the coach, informing her to get ready. She turned serious.

"On my mark, get set, go!" the coach shouted.

At that, Cagalli zoomed to the field at high speed. She eyed at the finish line, assured of her success. As she reached it, she stopped but her heart didn't. It pounded fast and her breathing too.

Kira approached her, holding a stop watch in his hand. He was the one who timed her. Showing her the record breaking time of 13.5 seconds in the 1000 meter dash, she felt overjoyed, not only her, but the coach and her other teammates as well.

"Good job, Cagalli." Kira praised her while patting her head.

"Hey, thanks... You're up next Kira." Cagalli said. "I'll time you."

"Okay, make sure you don't cheat."

"No, I won't so get your butt out there and show me what you got."

At once, Kira headed to the starting line. He positioned himself, looking seriously. He heard the giggling girls, who were fans of his, screaming his name, telling him good luck. Despite that, he still remained focus. His goal of the day was to beat his sister's time.

Finally the coach announced, "On your mark, get set and go!"

Kira ran as fast as he could, keeping in mind the time he had to beat. It was impossible, but he could make it. Whatever his sister can do, he can do it too. After all they were twins, equals, and siblings. Seeing the finish line, he saw his sister, making him run faster. As he reached the goal, he sighed in relief, for he exhausted from the running.

"I'm done. What's my time, Cagalli?" He asked. He shifted his glance at Cagalli who was looking a bit astonished. "What's wrong?"

"Um... Kira... You won't believe this but..." Cagalli stuttered as she turned her head at him.

Instantly, he swiped the stop watch from her hand. Looking at it, his eyes almost popped, because his time was also 13.5 seconds. He couldn't believe it, it was the same.

The coach was rather pleased with them. He felt lucky to have two superb runners on his team. With their skills, he felt assured about the competition next week.

"Now, you two rest for 10 minutes. After that, we'll have a mini-race." The coach told them.

"Yes, Coach Neumann." Kira and Cagalli answered in unison.

As they sat under a tree, Shinn suddenly appeared, giving them a real surprise. He merely laughed at their funny reactions, causing Cagalli to get pissed. Not wanting to get another whack on the head, he immediately shut up and quietly sat down beside her.

"Sorry about that..." He apologized to her. "Anyway, you two did excellent as usual, pleasing the coach again."

"Yeah, right... It was nothing. We're just doing the best we can." Cagalli said.

"I bet you can do it too, Shinn." Kira added.

"There's no way I can beat you two. You guys are too damn good for my sake."

Before saying another word, Coach Neumann called Shinn, because it was his turn to run.

"Well, I better go now. Talk to you guys later, okay?"

He ran off to the field.

"That Shinn... If he'll only go to practice everyday, I bet he'll be much better than us." Cagalli hissed. She crossed her arms while her eyes were fixed at Shinn, who was taking his place at the starting line. _He is a great runner, but a lazy guy._

"Shinn is just... well... Shinn... You can't change the fact that he's like that." After knowing Shinn for as long as he could remember, he had experienced life and troubles with him. _Even though he's like that, he is still a friend, a great friend, especially to Cagalli. _There were moments when Cagalli was sad and the only person capable of cheering her up was, Shinn.

He was a good brother, an overprotective one to be exact. He was always there for Cagalli, to love and care for her. Yet, from his eyes, he noticed how happy Cagalli is, whenever she's with Shinn. _I envy him so much. _

_Cheerleading Field_

Apparently, the Running Club wasn't the only team training. Leaded by Fllay Alster herself, she was showing some new moves that she came up to her cheerleading team. She was confident with her moves, certain to bring 1st prize in the competition.

"Do it like this and that..." Fllay raised her pompoms, shaking them in the air, while doing random dance moves. She jumped and twirled around three times, before making a summersault. When she landed composedly, she faced the team with a smiling face. "You girls get it?" she asked.

The girls screamed and clapped their hands, amazed of seeing Fllay doing her fantastic moves. Compared to them, Fllay was unbeatable and more graceful, the reason why she's team captain.

"Fllay-san, you're so good. I wish I could do that." A freshman, a new member with long hair, told her during her fan mode.

"Just keep practicing and you'll get it someday." She replied.

As she was about to announce break time, an annoying voice startled her, making her shiver. She turned around, only to see the face of her rival, Mia Campbell, the star actress of the drama club.

"What are you doing here, Campbell? Aren't you supposed to be in class?" Fllay questioned as she eyed her coldly.

"I just faked a headache so I could go out here and make fun of you, Alster."

_Why does she have to ruin every single day of my life! Why can't she act normal and leave me alone for crying out loud! _She told Mia to scram for she's quite busy for the moment. She didn't want any disturbances.

Mia didn't budge one bit. She kept staring at Fllay with eyes belonging to a witch. She was creepy. Mia approached Fllay and she took her pompoms from her hands. Merrily, she threw them in the air and caught them. She shook them high and low, while shaking her hips. She performed a back flip and triple twirls, surprising the girls at the same time. She ended her routine by bolting in mid-air and landed with a split.

"Wow, she's amazing."

"She's good."

"She should join the team."

Hearing compliments were music to her ears. "Thank you. I'm glad you girls liked," She stroke her pink hair as she grinned. "That little number... As you can all see, I'm way much better than Alster here." She pointed at the irritated Fllay, whose eyes were fixed at her. "What's the matter, Fllay? Are you jealous?" She laughed.

"Why should Fllay-san be jealous?" a cheerer spoke up. "Sure, you are good, Campbell-san, but from my point of view, Fllay-san is a lot better."

"I agree with her." Another cheerer took a few steps forward. "How can you say that you're much better than Fllay-san?"

"What!" shrieked Mia. "But I'm definitely better at singing and acting!"

At last, Fllay finally spoke, "I know... We all know... I admit you are talented, but it doesn't mean you're better."

Mia was speechless. She walked away, feeling humiliated. _I'll get you for this, Alster. I swear on it! _

_Room 3-A, after class_

All the students have left but one, Cagalli. She was assigned to do the afternoon cleaning of the room. She hated it, but she's got to do it. The teacher will give her detention if she'll skip out. She sighed.

She started wiping the teacher's desk, which was filled with chalk dusts. The dusts entered her nose, causing her to lightly sneeze. _Achoo! Darn it! _

Lurking outside the room was a purple-haired guy. He was keeping an eye on the blonde as she cleaned the room. He had a bouquet of red roses on his right hand and a love letter on his left. It appeared that he was another admirer, a fan of Cagalli.

After Kira told him that Cagalli was on cleaning duty, Athrun thought of escorting her home. It was the perfect opportunity to spend some time with her. When he neared the classroom, he saw a guy standing by the door. By looking at the gifts, Athrun immediately knew that he was suitor. He gasped when he found out it was Yuuna Seiran.

Yuuna is the worst guy ever. He's a maniac, a pervert, a wimp who takes advantage on a girl. In his present case, he was interested in Cagalli.

Athrun, growing protective and jealous, walked up to Yuuna, telling him to lay off Cagalli. "I won't allow you to court her."

"Are you the boss of me? You can't tell me what to do. I like Cagalli-chan and because of that, I'm planning to make her my girlfriend, Zala!" Yuuna retorted, pushing Athrun back. He slid the door open and called her, "Hi, sweetie! Your guy is here to see you, cutie."

Cagalli turned her attention to the guy, with a confused look as she wondered who he was. More importantly, he seemed weird to her, not to mention that he was ugly. She ignored him, giving him the cold shoulders, and continued with her cleaning.

"Cagalli-chan, please don't be like that to your lover. I'm Yuuna Seiran, one of the hottest guys in school. I am deeply in love with you, my princess." He kept on babbling on and on, until...

"Will you shut up!" Cagalli yelled at him. Her eyes glared at him, giving him the chills and striking fear into his heart. She held up a fist, telling him to buzz off like a quiet little bee. "I don't even know you and you called me Cagalli-chan! If you call me that again, I'm going to hit you so hard!" She threatened.

"But my ever-so-loving angel, I love you. I want you to be mine and mine alone." He was about to grab her arm when Athrun pulled him back, sending his face to the wall. Yuuna squeaked like a rat, pleading Athrun to let him go.

"You're one sick guy. I'm not going to let you touch Cagalli." His voice sounded harsh.

Yuuna cried, "But Cagalli is my girl, so I have every right to touch her. All I wanted is to ask her on a date and even..." his voice lowered when he said, "ask her to sleep with me..."

Unfortunately, Athrun and Cagalli heard that, provoking them to torture Yuuna slowly and painfully. Yet, Cagalli was nice enough just to land one hard punch on his stomach, knocking him unconsciously.

"That will teach you not to mess with me. I'm not the kind of girl to be underestimated." She said.

"I can't believe the nerve of this guy." Athrun added. "Well, as long as he's like that, he won't do any harm." He laughed.

"If he pulls another stunt on me, I'll make sure he'll be dead next time." She faced Athrun with a kind look. "By the way, thanks for the help." She smiled.

"No problem..." He answered. He glanced back at Yuuna, feeling disgusted at him. _Even though, he's a complete jerk, another hopeless suitor, I know Cagalli would never fall for a guy like him. _His thoughts shifted to Shinn. _The only rival I have to Cagalli's heart is Shinn. _

_To be continued..._

* * *

Akatsukihime: Athrun honestly thinks that Shinn loves Cagalli. Shinn only sees Cagalli as a good friend, so fans don't kill me for I won't pair them up. I didn't want to place Yuuna on this fic, but I needed an antagonist aside from Mia.

Thank you for reading my fic. I will update the next chapter as soon as possible. Please review. No flaming!


	7. Phase 07: Love Begins

Akatsukihime: Hi you all! The reviews were all okay, thank you! I'm finally done with chapter 7. I want to thank JC-titans143 for correcting my grammatical errors. Please enjoy the story and review in the end.

Disclaimers: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny.

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 07: Love Begins

_Room 3-A_

Cagalli was seated in her chair, spacing out as usual as her mind drifted to the clouds she was staring at. Apparently, she was thinking of Shinn, about what he said to her the other day. It was unbelievable, but true. It excited her somehow.

_Cagalli, you know what? Stellar, the girl I told you about, well... I'm planning to make my move on her. It's about time to reveal my feelings to her. _

She could remember the look on his face when he said that. He had a cheerful face, with a big goofy smirk slapped on it. _Good luck with Stellar Loussier, because you're going to need it. Courting a girl isn't an easy job, Shinn. _

_Tennis Club_

Stellar was taking a break after her hard work in practice. She was so tired that she could barely move her legs. She rested herself on a bench beside the tennis court, and watched her teammates play.

A familiar face, striking trepidation to the athletes, came to the field, holding a bottle of water in his hand. He was headed for Stellar slowly like a snail, obviously feeling nervous. As he reached her, he sat on the bench, acting firmly like a mechanical robot. He handed Stellar the bottle, telling her to drink it to quench her thirst. He offered it, without even looking at her.

Openly, Stellar took it and thanked Shinn. She drank the water and felt refreshed. "That hit the spot." She said. She turned to a now blushing Shinn, who lowered his head, trying to hide his red cheeks and giggly eyes. "Shinn, is something the matter? Are you feeling well?" She asked.

Shinn immediately bolted up, showing Stellar that he was fine by stretching his arms a bit. When he calmed down, he faced Stellar with a smile. "I'm okay. I'm always okay." He chuckled.

"That's good to hear." Stellar replied.

Walking near the tennis courts was Lunamaria Hawke. At once, she spotted Shinn and Stellar together, and they were talking normally. It was very unusual, since none of the students, other than Shinn's friends, talk to him. As she believed, Stellar is no friend of his and yet, they were chatting, smiling at each other, and even laughing.

_What's going on here? _She asked in her mind. She was irritated seeing the two getting along so well. She felt jealous. _Wait, I'm jealous of what? Of Stellar? There's no way! Why? _She paused to look at Shinn, catching him smiling. It was a handsome smile she has never seen before.

"I like him? No, it couldn't be." She bellowed while shaking her head, trying to remove the perplexing feeling in her heart. "Maybe I'm just angry at him... Yeah, that's it... I'm angry at him for making fun of me in class, no, all the time!" She clenched her fist hard, thinking about the horrible things Shinn has done to her in the past.

"During my freshman years, I've experienced a living hell because of him. I hate him so much. There's no way for a girl like me, to fall for an obnoxious bastard like Shinn!" She tried convincing herself, but it seemed her heart was telling her another thing.

_AVR_

Kira was asked by his friend, Miriallia, to borrow a Digital Camera from the AVR. With no delay, he immediately went to the said place. As he entered, he searched for the one in charge of the room, but unfortunately, he wasn't there. He was about to leave the room until a girl came in, blocking his way to the door. He recognized the girl, it was Lacus Clyne.

"Good afternoon to you, Clyne-san." He greeted.

Lacus showed him a toothed smile as she said, "Hello there, Hibiki-kun."

"What brings you here?"

"I was hoping that I could borrow a tape recorder. Is the man in charge here?"

Kira shook his head. "No, he isn't. Maybe he's on a break or something. We should come back later." He suggested.

Lacus agreed with him. Walking out of the AVR together, the two talked about their present school life. After that, Lacus invited Kira to go to her concert that will be held next week. She assured him that it will be big and exciting. Kira was delighted so he accepted the offer.

"I'll be expecting you there, Hibiki-kun." She lifted his hands and placed them near her chest, giving him one big smile.

Kira blushed at this. His hands turned cold the minute she started shaking them. He didn't say a word and he just stood there like a statue.

Noticing his overwrought expression, Lacus let out a small giggle. Thinking it was cute, she complimented Kira, turning his face even redder.

"What's the matter, Hibiki-kun? I only said that you look adorable, blushing like that."

"Um...well... it's just... that..." he took one deep breath before continuing, "no-other-girl-has-told-me-that-before!" He spoke fast.

"Huh? Is that so?"

"Except for Cagalli and my mom of course, but they don't count."

Lacus chuckled. "I see... Well I better go now. Don't forget about the concert, okay? You can invite Cagalli-san and your friends too. See you there!" She turned and walked away merrily.

When she was out of sight, Kira sighed in relief. Leaning his back on the wall, he thought of the pink-haired girl that gave him quite an impression. _My heart was pounding so fast, I thought it was going to burst. Just by looking at Lacus Clyne made me all lightly._

_Entrance_

After her running practice, she suddenly felt the urge to go home and sleep. So hurriedly, she headed to the locker to get her shoes. Upon reaching the place, she saw a person, a guy she least expected to see, for he was Yuuna Seiran, her official stalker.

Yuuna managed to see her, looking at him with blood-shot eyes. He wasn't intimidated by this. He was rather happy to see her, finally! "Cagalli-chan!" screamed the bastard. "I've been waiting for you since this morning. Where have you been?"

"Isn't it obvious, Seiran? I've been to class, where else?" She ironically replied as she raised an eyebrow. _He's really an idiot! _

"It doesn't matter now because you're here! Cagalli-chan let us go out and have some fun!" He approached Cagalli with open arms, planning to hug her.

Acting quickly, Cagalli took out her thick dictionary from her bag and threw it on his face. "Eat that, you creep!" She yelled.

The book slid down on his face, revealing a very funny expression, making Cagalli laugh to the max. His so-called handsome face was red and his eyes were all droopy. She pointed a finger at him, called him names, and utterly insulted his personality.

He dropped to his knees. In despair, he pleaded Cagalli to be his girlfriend. He even made a puppy pout to convince her.

_Okay, that's even a lot weirder. _Cagalli scratched her head in frustration. She couldn't believe how persistent Yuuna was. Even though, he was pleading like a beggar, her heart remained close for him. _Love is not something that you give because you pity. _She wanted to tell him that, but as she observed, Yuuna was not the kind of guy who would listen to words.

"I'm sorry. I'm not interested in you. Find some other girl to annoy, just leave me alone!" Cagalli blurted out.

She walked pass him and to her locker. When she put on her shoes, she was so ready to leave, but Yuuna suddenly grabbed her skirt while he was still kneeling on the ground. "What are you doing! Let go!" She demanded as a light shade of red appeared on her face. She held onto her skirt so Yuuna wouldn't lift it up to reveal her undergarment. "Let go of it, or else!"

"I won't, not until you agree to be mine!"

Her patience has reached the bottom line. She was so angry that she was willing to beat the guy to death. She raised her fist, ready to hit him, until three guys appeared. "Kira, Athrun, and Shinn?" she murmured, looking surprisingly at them.

When Cagalli mentioned their names, Yuuna got frightened. Gradually, he turned his head at them, but without letting go of her skirt. He plastered a fake smile on his face. He waved his hand at them. "Hi guys! What's up?" He forced himself to laugh, since they were giving him death glares.

Kira went to Cagalli's side and removed Yuuna's hand from her skirt. He moved his sister away to the door and told her to wait. On the other hand, Athrun and Shinn pushed Yuuna against the wall like a couple of cops arresting a burglar. Shinn grabbed his head, ruthlessly crushing it. Athrun's hand locked Yuuna's arm, disabling his movements.

Yuuna begged for their mercy.

"Mercy?" muttered Shinn. "A guy like you doesn't need one!"

"Didn't I tell you not to bother Cagalli again!" Athrun reminded him.

"But you didn't listen, Seiran." Kira added.

"I love her!" Yuuna screamed, struggling himself out of their clutches.

"Give it up, Seiran. Cagalli doesn't love you back." Shinn whispered into his ear like an evil conscious.

Yuuna's eyes grew wide, although it was true, he didn't want to give up. He wanted to go on.

"Seiran, I'm not going to let a guy like you court my sister. As I've heard from numerous students, you are famous for ditching girls, taking advantages on them, and hurting them." Kira spoke with his arms crossed.

Cagalli was witnessing all this. She was impressed how protective her brother and her two friends were. Even so, she felt kind of sorry for Seiran. She revealed herself to them, telling them to release the guy.

Shinn let out a small laugh. "That's funny. I thought you just said to let this wimp go."

"I did, Shinn."

"What!" gasped Shinn, shocked from what he heard. "Are you serious? This guy harassed you and yet,"

"I think he had enough and besides," Cagalli smirked, "I hit him good a while ago."

"Are you sure about this, Cagalli?" Athrun asked, thinking that Yuuna might do something stupid again to her.

"Yes, I'm sure." She answered decisively.

"Whatever you say sis..." Kira said.

When Athrun and Shinn released him, Kira immediately grabbed his collar, forcing him to look at his enraged purple eyes. "If you touch my sister again, I'll make you pay." He threatened.

Yuuna, intimidated by his expression, nodded his head. As Kira released him, he ran away so fast.

"Seiran, I'll give him a good beating once I see him again." Shinn clenched his fists while grinning evilly.

"Just leave him alone. That guy is not worthy of your time." Cagalli said.

"Okay, if you say so." Shinn then asked Kira for the time. He panicked when Kira said it was almost five o' clock. He remembered that he was going out with Stellar. "I better go now. Stellar is waiting for me at the mall. See you guys tomorrow!" He quickly took off.

Making a doubtful expression, Cagalli blinked several times, thinking of how Shinn get Stellar to date him. Nevertheless, she was happy for him.

"That Shinn..." she whispered. She turned to Kira and Athrun. "Well guys, let's go home now."

"Um... Cagalli... You see, I'm staying late today because I promised Miriallia to help her clean the room." Kira made an excuse. He faced Athrun and winked an eye. He ran off, while waving his hand at them, bidding them good-bye.

"It can't be helped." She sighed. "Athrun," she nudged his elbow, "let's walk home together."

_Kira, I'm going to call you to thank you first thing in the morning. _He gladly responded Cagalli, "All right then, let's go."

_Streets_

Walking side by side, Athrun and Cagalli crossed to the other side of the street, watching out for speeding cars. The sky was getting dark and the area was getting cold. A feeble wind blew pass them, sending chills to their skin.

_Why is it so cold? _Cagalli, being sensitive to it, wrapped her arms around her, trying to warm herself up. The wind blew a little harder this time, blowing her blonde hair and her skirt. She held down her skirt as she tried to walk faster.

Athrun observed the sky, which was having the impression that it was going to rain. He reached out to Cagalli, grabbed her hand and made a run for it.

They settled at a bus stop, where there was a roof over their heads. After that, it started to pour heavily.

"How are we going home now?" Cagalli asked as she sat down, wearing an upset face. She was so eager to go home to sleep, but now she's stuck in a bus stop. Yet, it wasn't a total misfortune, because Athrun was with her. She took her time to watch the rain.

During this, Athrun glanced at her, admiring the cuteness she had. _I'm grateful it rained. _Knowing it was a perfect moment, because they were all alone, he decided to tell her about his feelings. Facing her nervously, he started to speak with a stuttering voice.

"Cagalli, I want to tell you that I..."

"What is it, Athrun?"

Knowing he was blushing for his heart was pounding, he deliberately set his eyes on the ground. His words ended up in murmurs, because he lowered his voice. _Why can't I tell her?_

"Athrun..." said Cagalli. Suddenly, a flash of lightning and a tremendous sound of thunder startled her, sending her towards Athrun. Another thunder occurred, making her hug him innocently.

Athrun stiffened. Cagalli was hugging him, therefore he was blushing. He felt troubled, since she was leaning on his chest. _She could hear my heartbeat! _However, he wasn't planning on removing her for he was too pleased. With no hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her, keeping her warm, and assuring her that it was safe.

_To be continued..._

_

* * *

_

Akatsukihime: I like making Yuuna suffer. Forgive me for doing that, it's just that I despise him so much! Please understand me... Ahem... This is the end of chapter 7. Next chapter will be updated soon and remember to send me reviews. No flames, okay?


	8. Phase 08: Anger, Envy, and Hatred

Akatsukihime: I can't believe I'm its chapter 8 already. I have Jc-chan to thank for this. I didn't know that writing could be so fun! I'm also making another fic that will be updated soon. It's an AsuCaga fic. Anyway, read on... 

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny. I would like to own Cagalli-sama and Miriallia-san, but I can't.

* * *

**Destiny High School**

_Flashback_

_Athrun stiffened. Cagalli was hugging him, therefore he was blushing. He felt troubled, since she was leaning on his chest. She could hear my heartbeat! However, he wasn't planning on removing her for he was too pleased. With no hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her, keeping her warm, and assuring her that it was safe._

_Realizing her situation, Cagalli pushed herself away from Athrun, for she was embarrassed to do that. Her face was already red as a tomato and her heart was pounding like crazy. She bowed her head, saying, "I'm sorry about that!" to Athrun._

_Athrun smiled, telling her it was okay. She was scared by the thunder after all, so he understood her. It's only natural for someone who is scared to cling on someone. Well in Athrun's case, he considered himself to be lucky. It's not so often you get hug by the girl you love._

_End_

Phase 08: Anger, Envy, & Hatred

Entrance

Upon reaching the school building, Athrun was showing a positive expression, meaning he was happy for yesterday's moment in the rain. Although he didn't get to tell Cagalli his feelings, he was contented enough just to spend time with her. If he was a little kid, he would jump around, screaming "Yahoo!" everywhere.

He opened his locker and took out his books needed for the day. When he closed it, a girl suddenly appeared from behind him, giving him a warm greeting.

"Hi, Athrun!" her voice was a little high.

Athrun started to get some weird vibes, for he recognized the voice. He turned around, wishing it wasn't her. Unfortunately, it was the girl he found annoying to be with, Mia Campbell. His smile turned upside down, as he replied to her, "Oh, it's you... What do you want?" He talked coldly.

Mia stroked her pink hair and looked at Athrun seductively. Her hand touched his right shoulder, squeezing it gently. Her dark blue eyes sparkled by staring at his emerald green eyes, which she admired greatly in him. She moved an inch closer, trying to bring her body, her chest closer to him. She felt the urge to kiss him, so she leaned forward to do so.

Suddenly, Athrun pushed her away, not gently, but strongly. He glared at her furiously, feeling disgusted with her actions. "Campbell, what the hell were you thinking!" He blurted out.

Mia felt hurt for being pushed and screamed at, but she still acted calm in front of him. "Why Athrun-dear... You do not want me? That's too bad, because I'm too good to be thrown away." She spoke while running her hands on her body, trying to seduce Athrun.

"Do you think I will fall for a gig like that! Campbell, why don't you just give up on me?"

"Athrun, why are so cold to me? I love you, but you treat me like shit. What should I do to make you love me back?"

"I will never love you!"

Mia's eyes were close to tears, but she tried to hold it back. She didn't want to show her tears to Athrun, she tried to be strong. "A-Athrun... Why is it? Do you love somebody else?" She prayed, hoping he would say no.

Unfortunately for Mia, Athrun answered, "Yes, I do love someone else." He grinned, knowing it would break Mia's heart. He didn't want to be cruel, but she asked for it.

Mia finally shed tears. "It's the Hibiki-girl, right? What makes her better than me!"

"Cagalli is... Cagalli, for me, is my childhood friend, my best friend's sister, and the girl who is always there for me. She's the girl I truly love for many reasons." He quickly left, leaving Mia to cry all she wants.

As soon as he was gone, Mia dropped to her knees. She buried her face in her hands, calling out Athrun's name countless times. For her, Athrun meant a lot.

Yuuna, looking like a dork and having a gloomy face, approached his locker, not noticing Mia was there, because he was too busy thinking about Cagalli. _With her three bodyguards around, how can I possibly court her now? What should I do?_ After getting his things, he accidentally stepped on Mia's foot, sending her hopping around the place. He laughed at the pink-haired girl, who was soothing her sore foot.

Angered by this, Mia scolded him by calling him names and pointing her finger at him, while showing a fuming expression. "How dare you step on my foot? Are you blind or something!"

"Well, excuse me Miss Campbell... The floor is no place for moping around." He answered sarcastically.

"Shut up you ugly wimp!" With that, she took revenge on him by stepping on his foot too and then, she bolted out of sight.

"Ouch!" screamed Yuuna. "That whore, Mia Campbell! She's going to pay for this."

_Lunchtime_

Cagalli was climbing down the stairs, hurrying to get to the cafeteria, because she was so hungry. On her way, she encountered a pink-haired girl that shot a stingy glare at her. She sighed, looking at Mia's face disapprovingly.

"Well, if it's isn't Miss Cagalli Yula Hibiki, the most athletic girl in school." Mia tried to sound sarcastic about it, but it just sounded annoying for Cagalli. "Tell me something, Hibiki-san... Is Athrun you're boyfriend?"

Talking about Athrun, Cagalli suddenly remembered that he was waiting for her in the cafeteria, giving her one more reason to hurry. But she's kind of caught in a traffic jam, facing a flirty bitch.

"Look, just get out of my way. I have to do something." She made an excuse and tried to pass her.

Unfortunately, Mia grabbed her arm, forcing her to look back at her. Her dark-blue eyes narrowed, her frown became a smirk, and her grip became much tighter by the second.

"I was asking you a question. It's rude not to answer!"

Cagalli brushed her hand away, staring back at her with angry eyes. To think she could let Mia off the hook was a completely pointless idea, for Mia has proven to be an absolute bother to her. So she retorted, "Athrun is my brother's best friend, so that makes him my friend too. He is a boy and he's a friend, but he's not a boyfriend! I hope you understood all that, Mia Campbell!"

"You're lying!" Mia disbelievingly looked at her with revulsion. "From what I've observed, Athrun has never looked at other girls except you."

"What are you saying?" The blonde crossed her arms, getting confused with all the babbling from Mia. "He acts that way to me, because we've been friends for so long." She walked pass a distressed Mia, who was conceivably staring at the floor, and left her.

Reaching her destination, she stopped by the door, thinking of what the pink-haired girl said. It made her wonder what it meant. For once, Mia struck her with her words and it wasn't senseless. It was definitely weird.

A hand grabbed her shoulders, startling her at the same time. She turned to the person, with her heart pounding, only to see Athrun, coolly standing in front of her. "It's only you. For a minute there, I thought Mia came after me." She said, chuckling.

"Mia? As in Mia Campbell the actress?" questioned Athrun.

"Yes, that's right. For the record, she's still your fan-girl until now." She sounded like she was mocking him, although, she felt kind of pissed for saying that.

"What did she do to you?"

"Oh nothing... She just came up to me and told me that she's jealous of me for always spending time with you. Can you believe her? I already told her that you're my friend and yet, she believed that you were my boyfriend."

_She believed that I was her boyfriend?_ In anyway, Athrun liked the sound of that, even though, it wasn't official. Mia had the right to be jealous, because I like Cagalli best. She's the only girl I've ever wanted.

_School Garden_

In the midst of spring, the garden would always be one of the interesting places of the school. With the overwhelming beauty of the flowers, who could resist not to stop to admire them? Their sweet aroma floating in the air has calming effect, a soothing effect to the wandering souls passing by. The heavenly place, only rare for spring, is a wondrous place to visit.

Walking through the garden were best friends, Cagalli and Shinn. They were enjoying the moment, a time to relax after a hard day in school. They found a bench and sat on it, as they wandered they eyes all over the place.

"This place is really great. Why don't you bring Stellar here?" Cagalli brought her name up, knowing it would interest Shinn.

"I was thinking of that before. Do you think she likes flowers?"

"A girl like Stellar would love flowers... Well, except if she's allergic." Cagalli chuckled.

Shinn crossed his arms. "Of course she's not!" he retorted.

During their talk, Lunamaria happened to pass by. She stopped when she heard Shinn's voice. _What is Shinn doing in a place like this?_ She hid herself behind a bush as she crawled closer to hear him better. As she poked her head out, she saw Shinn and Cagalli together, sitting on a bench. She almost shrieked, but she clamped her mouth in time. _Don't tell they're dating, but I thought they're only friends!_ She was starting to have a raging feeling again, a feeling of envy.

"Tell me something, Shinn... Is Stellar pretty?" Cagalli questioned. "Do you like her?"

Hearing Stellar's name only made Luna feel uneasy. _So they're not dating, they're just talking... about Loussier..._ She sighed.

Shinn has yet to reply, for he was thinking deeply.

Cagalli continued, "Do you want to be with her forever?"

Shinn stayed quiet as his eyes were fixed on the ground.

Luna, from observing Shinn, was beginning to think he doesn't like Stellar at all. In turn, she grinned, while her heart calmed down.

"Shinn answer me! If she were to leave you, would you cry?"

Luna was about to murmur _Yes _until Shinn spoke.

"Stellar is not pretty, she's beautiful. I don't like her, I love her. I don't want to be with her, I need to be with her. And the moment she'll leave me, I won't cry for I will die!" He blurted out as fast as he could. His face red as an apple and his expression was serious, proving to Cagalli it was all true.

The blonde smiled at him. "That's all I wanted to hear from you, Shinn. Stellar is a nice girl, so do your best to win her heart." She patted his shoulder, telling him good luck.

At that, Luna, with her hands on her head, shook slightly. Her light-purple eyes, wide as ever, were neared to tears. For once in her life, she felt so hurt. _Why am I like this? Why I am like this after Shinn said those things?_ She came to realize the reason behind it. "I like him. I like Shinn Asuka... That's it... I like him... That's why..."

She stood and walked away. She walked into the building, not knowing where to go- without a destination. Her thoughts were all focused on Shinn. Turning at one corner, she bumped into a blonde-haired girl, Stellar. She eyed her heatedly, giving her an I-hate-you-look.

On the other hand, Stellar had a cheerful smile. "Hello there, Hawke-san! I'm sorry for bumping into you. I was kinda in a hurry."

"Hmph... Whatever!" She exclaimed. She took off after shrugging Stellar's shoulder.

Stellar frowned, thinking she upset Luna. _But I don't remember doing anything to her..._

_To be continued..._

Akatsukihime: Love triangles between Mia-Athrun-Cagalli and Stellar-Shinn-Lunamaria. What will Mia do to win Athrun's affections? What will Luna do, knowing she doesn't stand against Shinn's feelings towards Stellar? All will be revealed soon! If you want to read more, please review... no flames, seriously.


	9. Phase 09: A Rival's Heart

Akatsuki-hime: Thanks to JC-titans143 again for helping me with this chapter. I'm thinking of making an account in Seed Genesis forums, but I'm rarely online. Oh well, I'll just have some fun writing stories.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny.

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 09: A Rival's Heart

_Class 1-A _

Supposedly it was Math time for the class, but the teacher was absent. The students took their time by chatting with one another, fooling around the classroom, and even lounging outside, except for one red-haired girl who just enjoyed herself in reading a book.

Meyrin was reading a fiction story about a smart girl, who has an admirer, which was her classmate too. She was so into it that she didn't hear someone calling her. When the person tapped her shoulder, she stopped reading to turn to him. "What do you want, Neider-kun?" She asked.

Auel grabbed a chair and placed it beside her desk. He sat down and started talking to her. "I was bored. If you don't mind, can we talk?"

"Okay." She answered. She closed her book and looked at Auel straightly, making him nervous all of the sudden. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Well... um... Hawke... I was wondering..." He stuttered, making it hard for Meyrin to understand. He mentally slapped himself. _What am I doing? Why can't I do this properly? _He mumbled some curses about himself, while scratching his head in frustration.

"Neider-kun, are you all right? You seem to be troubled."

"No, it's not that at all." He answered right away. "Hawke, do you... do you want to hang out with me sometime?" He asked without looking at her.

"I don't know. I am always busy with my studies."

Auel sighed. "I see... you can't... that's too bad..."

"But my time can be arranged so yes, I can hang out with you."

With her reply, Auel almost jumped out of his chair in delight. Thanks to his self-control, he was able to avoid embarrassment. He lightly laughed before sitting down again. As he glanced at Meyrin, he saw her smile, a warm smile that made him smile as well.

_Class 2-A_

Asagi Caldwell, the English teacher, was busy reading a poem from her book to the class. It was another sappy poem, which Shinn loathed the most. It was sending butterflies into his stomach, meaning it was making him sick.

"I should've skipped this class." Shinn mumbled, glaring heatedly at the teacher. He was about to interrupt the teacher when the bell rang. "Saved by the bell..." He packed his notebooks into his bag as the teacher left. It was his chance to escape. Since the next subject was only Math, which was pretty easy for him, he decided to cut class. Hurriedly, he walked to the door, but he was stopped by Lunamaria.

"You're not going anywhere, Asuka!" Luna told him, pretending she was the teacher.

"You better get out of the way, Hawke, before I do something bad to you." He eyed her sinisterly with a wide smirk on his face. Noticing that Luna won't budge one bit, he forcefully pushed her aside and reached for the door. "See you later, Stellar!" He waved back at Stellar.

"Shinn, are you sure about this?" Stellar asked, for she was concern.

"Don't worry, because I'm going to be just fine."

Stellar nodded. "Okay, please come back during lunchtime. I made lunch for you." She informed him sweetly.

"I will definitely be here later."

Luna was witnessing all this, getting hurt at the same time. Shinn and Stellar were talking nicely to each other, again! She felt rage flickering in her heart. Directly, she confronted Shinn and told him to stay. She acted brave.

"You're really becoming a pest." Shinn snubbed. If she wasn't a girl, he would've punched her a long time ago.

"Asuka, you should stop this pointless habit. Cutting class would lead you to no good." Luna explained, but seemingly, her words didn't affect Shinn. She was growing impatient with him. Her temper was about to blow. "Asuka, are you listening to me!"

In fact, he was not listening to her, for his attention was focused at the window, where he could see a tree standing near the building. On the tree branch was a blonde haired girl with golden brown eyes. Shinn left Luna to blab and went to the window and opened it.

"What the hell are you doing there, Cagalli?" he asked.

Cagalli jumped from the branch to the window, with perfect balance. Once she was inside, the boys in class howled, hissed, and yelled in admiration for their blonde princess.

"Shut up or I'll skin you all alive!" He blurted out, making them squeal like little puppies. "I swear you fan boys are completely annoying."

"I can live with them." She simply answered.

"What brings you here?"

"I don't have class. The teacher is surprisingly absent, which is good. I got bored so I went here." She answered as she seated herself on Shinn's desk.

"Cagalli-san, Shinn has told me all about you." Stellar spoke as she neared Cagalli. Her magenta eyes stared straightly at her golden-brown orbs, with friendliness. She smiled elegantly, holding a smile of a Fragile Angel, emitting her radiance and loveliness.

"Stellar, star tennis player and one of the cutest girl in school, I presume." Cagalli complimented her, making her blush.

"I don't know about that." Stellar giggled.

While the two blonde's talked, Shinn listened attentively to them and his eyes were focused only at Stellar. He had a calm expression, not his usual grumpy look.

Yzak moseyed over to Shinn's side and nudged his elbow. "I believe Stellar likes you too. If not, then why did she bother making you lunch?" He whispered softly into Shinn's ear.

"I really hope so, Yzak."

Luna went back to her seat, defeated once again by Shinn. She dared not to look back at him, who was together with Stellar and Cagalli, the two girls he cared the most. She was no match against them.

_I wish the teacher is here so Hibiki would leave. _

Jealousy polluted her mind as anger entered her heart. She accepted the fact that she likes Shinn more than a classmate. She was crushing on him. _Stellar and Cagalli, I can't possibly reach their level. They're too high up! _She yelled in her mind. She heard their laughs, so she covered her ears, blocking the sounds, irritating to her.

_School Newspaper Office_

The Deadline was nearing and Miriallia was working non-stop in the press room, trying to finish her article. She was seated in front of the computer, checking for grammatical errors in her article. When she finished, she saved it.

"At last, I'm done." Miriallia murmured. She stretched out her arms, while feeling relief. "Now, I wonder if Dearka is done with his work."

Speaking of the devil, Dearka noisily came into the room, carrying a folder with him. He placed the folder on the table and opened it. It contained all his drawings and comics needed for the newspaper.

"Miriallia, here's my work!" Dearka gladly showed his so-called masterpieces, which were fairly good, to Miriallia.

She smiled. "I'm glad you finished before the deadline."

She brought back her attention to the computer. She was going to check on the Layout for the newspaper.

Dearka gazed his eyes on Miriallia, admiring her cute face again. _Should I tell her now? I want to tell her that I love her, but what if she rejects me? _He grew nervous. His hands turned cold as they trembled. _Dearka, pull yourself together! You can do this! _He yelled in his mind, trying to store enough confidence in himself.

"Miriallia... um... can..." Dearka started as he placed his hand on the back of his head.

Miriallia turned to Dearka, asking "What is it?"

Unknowingly, he blushed. He didn't dare to look straightly at her. "Can I take you... can... I... I-I... Miriallia..." he stuttered. Then finally he said, "Can-I-take-you-out-on-a-date!" fast and loud.

Miriallia, surprised at this, didn't know what to say. _Dearka is asking me out on a date. This is something new to me. What should I do? Well, going out with Dearka is not bad, so I might as well... _She looked at him with a smile. "Yes, you can. Please decide on the time and venue."

Dearka jumped, screaming one big yes! "Thanks Miriallia! Okay, our meeting place with be at the park, on Saturday, at 8:30 AM. Is that all right with you?" He said.

Miriallia nodded, complying with him.

"I'll make this date a great one. I promise you that."

_Gymnasium _

A sound of a basketball being bounced perpetually was the only sound you could hear in the gym. The one handling the ball was MVP Athrun Zala, who was practicing and showing moves to a certain girl. Athrun stared at the ring, as if it was an enemy. Knowing Cagalli was there, he was inspired to play vigorously.

"Athrun, show me your stuff!" Cagalli cheered as she raised her fist.

Athrun nodded. With one swift move, he ran towards the ring. He bounced the ball between his legs. Once he was under the ring, he jumped and made a lay-away shot. The ball landed in the ring. He smiled at his success.

Cagalli clapped her hands in delight. "As expected, you're still great. Not a single shot was missed!"

He approached her. "You're just saying that." He said.

"No, I'm not! It's the truth! You've been good at this sport since elementary. You're a natural."

"It's because I'm always motivated to play when you watch me."

She gasped as her cheeks turned slightly red. "I... I-I... didn't know. I'm the reason why... you're good... That can't be..." She spoke with hesitation.

Athrun held her hands while he gazed upon her golden-brown eyes, making her blush even more. He took pleasure laughing at her reaction, but it was only a short one.

"What's so funny!" She asked, sounding pissed.

"You're so cute, which is the main reason why the boys in school admire you so much."

"They're annoying!" She snubbed. "And release my hands now!"

"No, I don't want to." He replied mockingly.

"What's up with you?"

"Cagalli, I want to tell you that I..." He stopped, because he heard someone coming in. He turned to the door and saw two familiar faces, bringing displeasure to his eyes. "Seiran...and...Campbell?" muttered Athrun.

"What are you two doing here?" Cagalli added while she crossed her arms.

_To be continued..._

_

* * *

_

Akatsukihime: Yuuna and Mia together and confronting Athrun and Cagalli mean trouble. I wonder what they have in mind. Auel and Dearka are finally making their moves on their crushes. Athrun almost said those 3 words! Luna is jealous of Cagalli and Stellar. What will she do to gain Shinn's heart?

I'll update soon. Please review and no flames!


	10. Phase 10: Angelic Voices

akatsuki-hime: I'm finally at Chapter 10. In the previous chapter, Athrun almost uttered those 3 words to Cagalli when he was suddenly disturbed by Yuuna and Mia. By the way, I'm sorry if I updated late. I was busy shopping Christmas gifts for my friends. I hope you can forgive me... sob... Oh, please read on...

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny.

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 10: Angelic Voices

"What are you two doing here?" Cagalli questioned as she stared at Mia and Yuuna.

"You're a liar, Hibiki-san!" Mia retorted, looking angrily at the blonde.

"What did you say!" Cagalli clenched a fist as she narrowed her eyes at the pink-haired girl.

"You told me that you two were friends, but you two act like lovers!"

"W-what!" uttered Cagalli as she blushed. "Campbell, you're really crazy!"

"Oh, am I now..." Mia crossed her arms as she raised an eyebrow, looking suspiciously at Cagalli. "Tell me the truth, Hibiki-san... Do you love Athrun?"

"I want to know as well." Yuuna spoke up, feeling nervous at the moment.

Cagalli gritted her teeth, while thinking of an answer. _Does she have to annoy me this much? Does she really think I can answer her question so easily? _

Athrun turned to her, looking anxiously, as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let me handle them..." He said. He moved up in front of her and faced Mia and Yuuna seriously. "So what if she does? Can you do anything about it?"

"We're not asking you idiot! We want Cagalli-chan's answer!" Yuuna snorted.

Mia suddenly pinched him hard on the arm, making him squeal like a rat, as she glared at him furiously.

"Hey! What did I do!"

"I won't allow you to insult Athrun, got that!" Mia demanded.

"Well, I'm not going to let a pink-haired freak like you order me around!"

This time, Mia pulled his ear, drawing Yuuna closer to her. "Who are you calling a pink-haired freak, you wimp!"

The two of them started arguing.

"Cagalli, let's leave while we still have the chance." Athrun whispered into Cagalli's ear.

The blonde nodded her head. "Okay, let's go."

Instantly, they bolted out of the gym without Yuuna and Mia's notice.

_Concert_

The place was filled with fans from all over the city. They have come to witness their idols sing and perform on stage. Among the audience were Kira, Cagalli, Athrun, Shinn and Stellar, who were gathered in one corner, struggling to keep up with the busy and pushy crowd.

"I hate crowded places." Shinn complained, as he scratched his head in frustration.

"Even so, I like concerts, because they're so lively." Stellar said, looking excited.

"Well, I'm only here because you're here." He mumbled.

"What did you say? I didn't quite catch that."

Shinn immediately shook his head. "Um... It was nothing. I was just talking to myself." He lightly laughed.

Kira was eager to see Lacus perform on stage. He turned to Cagalli, to ask her the time, but when he noticed her serious expression, he got worried.

"Cagalli, what's the matter?" He asked her.

Cagalli sighed. "I can't believe you invited me to this stupid concert."

"This concert is not stupid! Besides, isn't Clyne-san a friend of yours?"

"I forgot that Clyne is going to perform too. I'm sorry about that. It's just that Mia Campbell... well she's just..."

When she mentioned Mia's name, Kira understood her reaction. "What did she do this time?"

"She's still being a complete bother to me!"

"Well, it's really Athrun's fault." He turned at his best friend, who was standing right next to his sister. "If you weren't so popular, girls like Mia won't chase you." He mockingly said.

"I wish she would leave me alone. I can never love her." Athrun said.

"I know, because you love C-c..."

Athrun instantly covered Kira's mouth, preventing him from continuing his sentence. "What do you think you're doing!" He hissed.

"Oops! Sorry about that, Athrun." Kira giggled.

"What was that all about?" Cagalli questioned, looking curiously at them.

"It was nothing. Kira was just fooling around." Athrun made up an excuse.

"Oh... okay then..."

_Backstage _

The twins were getting ready for their performance. Lacus was getting kind of nervous, knowing that Kira was there to see her. From the day she saw him at the AVR, she hasn't stop thinking about him.

"I hope Kira will like my song." Lacus muttered as she clasped her hands together.

Mia noticed her sister being nervous, so she approached her to give her a boost of confidence. "Lacus, this gig is going to be a blast!"

"Yes, I know that." She replied. Then a questioned popped into her head. "Um... Mia... you do know Kira Hibiki-kun, right?"

Upon hearing the name Hibiki made her furious, because that name reminded her of Cagalli.

"He's that twin brother of that bitch, Cagalli!"

"Mia, please don't say that!" Lacus defended, looking at Mia seriously, as she stood from her chair. "Cagalli-san is a nice girl."

"For you information, Cagalli is my biggest rival to Athrun's heart."

"When will you give up on him? Zala-kun doesn't have feelings for you."

"He will once I get rid of that blonde!"

"As your sister, I won't let you do that. It's wrong."

Mia crossed her arms as she turned around, showing her back to Lacus. "Try to stop me if you can, dear sweet sister!"

_Stage_

The emcee went up on stage, while holding a microphone in his hand. He waved to the audience as he greeted. He announced to everyone that the concert was about to start, making them cheer so loudly.

"Now let me introduce you, the Galactic Siren, Mia Campbell with her song, In this Quiet Night Remix!" The emcee said as he pointed his finger at the right side of the stage, where the lights were focused.

Mia came out, looking lively, as she waved her hand at the audience. She went to the center of the stage and started singing.

When the song ended, Mia slightly bowed at her audience, thanking them for their support. The lights were turned off, as she exited the stage.

"I'm glad that's over!" Cagalli retorted, looking rather pissed.

"Can't you at least enjoy the show?" Kira said.

"That's easy for you to say."

"Sshhh... Clyne-san is up next." He quickly shifted his eyes on the stage.

The lights turned on, revealing the pink-haired princess on the center stage. She held an angelic smile, impressing the audience, as she waved her hand at them.

"It's time for our Songstress of Hope to sing us a song entitled, Fields of Hope." The emcee said.

When the music started, the audience settled down, as they keenly set their eyes on Lacus.

Lacus sang her song:

_konna ni tsumetai tobari no fukaku de  
anata wa hitori de nemutteru _

_inori no utagoe sabishii nohara wo  
chiisana hikari ga terashi-teta_

_anata no yume wo miteta  
kodomo no youni waratteta  
natsukashiku mada tooku sore wa mirai no yakusoku_

_itsuka midori no asa ni itsuka tadoritsukeru to  
fuyugareta kono sora wo shinjiteiru kara  
Fields of hope_

_umarete kita hi ni dakishimete kureta  
yasashii ano te wo sagashi-teru_

_inori no utagoe hitotsu kiete  
mata hajimaru tayorinaku setsunaku tsudzuku_

_itsuka midori no asa e subete no yoru wo koete  
sore wa tada hitori tsutsu mitsukete yuku basho dakara  
ima ga tada kono mune de anata wo atatametai_

_natsukashiku mada tooi yasuragi no tame ni  
Fields of hope_

_natsukashiku mada tooi yakusoku no nohara  
Fields of hope_

The audience, including Kira's group, cheered for her. They were so amazed by her song.

"She's really something..." Kira said, feeling dazed by looking at the pink-haired girl.

Cagalli was starting to get the feeling that her brother was crushing on Lacus. She nudged his elbow, making him look at her, as she smirked at him. "Kira, you like Clyne, don't you?"

Kira blushed as he lowered his head. "Well... uh... I don't know..."

"Oh come on! It's written all over you. You like Lacus Clyne!"

"So what if I do?"

"Then I'm rooting for you! Good luck with her, Kira." She pulled him into a headlock as she roughly brushed his hair, completely messing it up.

"Stop that, Cagalli. Let me go!" He demanded, while struggling to get away from her.

_Food Stands (Outside the Concert Area)_

Shinn handed a hotdog to Stellar as he began eating his.

"Thank you, Shinn. I was really getting hungry." Stellar said as she took a bite of her food.

"So Stellar, are you enjoying your time?"

"Honestly, I always enjoy your company Shinn. I feel comfortable talking to you or just being with you."

Shinn blushed at what she said. "I'm... happy... to hear that." He stuttered, feeling kind of awkward, as he scratched his head. "I... I always enjoy your company too."

"I see." Stellar replied with a smile.

After eating, they went to the park, where they sat down on a bench. Stellar took the pleasure to gaze at the stars. On the other hand, Shinn took his chance to look at her cute face.

"Beautiful..." Shinn muttered.

"That's right, the stars are beautiful." Stellar added.

"I'm not talking about the stars."

Stellar faced him with a curious expression. "Shinn?" she questioned.

"You're beautiful, Stellar." He said, looking serenely at her, as he placed a hand on her cheek.

Stellar lightly blushed as she felt the warmness of his hand.

"Stellar, this may sound a little awkward, but I..." His face flushed up as he lowered his head. "I-I... I-love-you!" exclaimed Shinn, as he looked at her again, now with concerned eyes.

Stellar was astonished, leaving her speechless, while she blinked her eyes several times.

"Stellar, I want to know your feelings. I want to know if you love me or like me. If you don't feel the same way about me, then it's fine."

He removed his hand from her face, giving her the time to think.

"Shinn, I-I..."

"Please don't hesitate to speak."

A drop of tear fell from her eye, as she widely smiled at him. "I was surprised to see you avoid me all the time since 1st year. I wanted to know the reason behind your actions. Now, I know..."

"I fell in love with you at first sight. During our freshman years, I tried to find ways of courting you, but I didn't have enough confidence to face you."

Stellar giggled. "That's funny, because I also felt that way before." She held Shinn's hand, gently squeezing it, as she leaned her head on his chest. "Shinn, I want you to know that I love you too."

Shinn smiled, looking pleased, as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Stellar gently pushed herself away to glance at his face. He placed a kiss on her temple, making her blush madly, so in return, she also kissed him on the cheeks.

"From now on you're my girlfriend." Shinn proudly said.

"And from now on you're my boyfriend." Stellar added.

Shinn hesitated for while, but eventually, he kissed her on the lips as he closed his eyes.

Stellar felt the sweet sensation flowing into her. She deepened the kiss even more, while running her hands around his neck.

_To be continued..._

* * *

akatsuki-hime: I just love the Shinn and Stellar moment here. What do you think will happen if Lunamaria finds out about their relationship? One more thing to take note is Kira's feelings. He finally admits that he likes the Lacus. What kind of move will he make on her?

To all the reviewers: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


	11. Phase 11: Girls

Akatsuki-hime: Chapter 11 is finally up. I just finished this yesterday night. There are some OOC here... Just a warning...

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed Destiny. I got the title from DNAngel.

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 11: The smiling girl, the thinking girl, and the crying girl

Shinn walked through the hallways, not looking cranky but happy. He was in a good mood, because Stellar was finally his girlfriend. As he approached his classroom, he saw Cagalli leaning against the wall, while smirking at him.

"What are you doing here?" Shinn asked her, raising one eyebrow.

Her smirk widened. "Shinn, why didn't you tell me that Stellar was your girlfriend now? That's really big news."

Shinn gasped, wondering how Cagalli found out.

"Stellar told me everything..."

"She did? So that's why..." He sighed.

"It looks like your goofy antics finally paid off." She joked.

"Yeah... whatever..." He rolled his eyes away from her as he crossed his arms.

Cagalli patted his shoulder and pointed to the classroom. "You better go now. Stellar is waiting for you inside." Her eyes suddenly turned sad. Her change of expression struck Shinn with concern.

"What's the matter, Cagalli?" He asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Cagalli snapped out of her thoughts and immediately, she looked up at Shinn with a smile. "It's nothing." She swiftly shook her head. "It's really nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Well, I'll see you later Shinn." She quickly walked off.

Shinn watched her leave. His furious eyes turned serene, as he thought about his blonde best friend. He could tell by her look a while ago that she was troubled.

_Room 3-A_

Upon entering the room, Dearka immediately spotted Miriallia, who was waving at him. He smiled at her, as he went to her.

"Good morning, Miriallia!" greeted Dearka.

"I really enjoyed our date last Saturday. I want to thank you for that." Miriallia said. She reached into her bag and pulled out a small pouch, containing chocolates inside. She handed it to her blonde suitor. "Here you go!"

"You're giving this to me?"

Miriallia nodded. "Yes... Oh, if you must know, I made them myself."

Dearka's smile widened, as he gazed at her with a grateful expression. He opened the pouch, pulled out one chocolate ball, and ate it. "Hmm... It's so delicious!" He said out loud, revealing a child-like face.

"I'm glad you liked it. If you want more, you can come to my house to get some. I've got lots."

"Really?" asked Dearka. "That'll be great!"

Miriallia giggled. "You're really funny, Dearka. That's what I like about you."

Dearka paused as his cheeks turned red. He lowered his head, feeling a little embarrassed, as he scratched the back of his head. "Um... thanks..." He muttered.

_School Garden_

Shinn and Stellar met at the garden to talk. Stellar's eyes wandered around the place, as she admired every flower and butterflies flying around them. She looked at Shinn and gradually, she placed a light kiss on his right cheek.

"W-what was that all about!" Shinn bolted up, holding his right cheek. He looked quite surprised.

"It was just a kiss. Is there something wrong with that?" Stellar giggled.

"Well... I..." Shinn was blushing. "Oh... it's nothing." He turned around to hide his face expression.

"You don't have to act shy around me anymore, Shinn."

"I know... It's just that..." He inhaled before he continued. "It's my first time to have a girlfriend."

"So I'm your first, is that correct?"

Shinn said nothing but a nod.

"I see... well you're my first and last boyfriend I'll ever have." Stellar said with importance, as she leaned her head against his back. "I love you, Shinn."

Pleased to hear that, Shinn turned around and hugged her tightly and warmly. "Stellar..."

Lunamaria was walking near the garden in search for the boy she admired, Shinn Asuka. She knew that the garden was one of Shinn's favorite hangouts, so she was sure to find him there. She passed by the rose bush and reached the daisy patch, where she saw Shinn and Stellar hugging each other.

_What the hell are they doing! Don't tell they're... No, it can't be. _

She stared at them with horror, as tears formed in her eyes. She ran off until she reached the gym. There, she dropped to her knees and cried stridently. She clenched her fists and pounded the floor. She shook her head rapidly, trying to shake off her perturbed emotion.

She pictured Stellar in her mind. She began plotting something against Stellar. She was dead serious about it. _I'll make Shinn mine. _

_Rooftop_

Kira was staring up at the sky, while thinking about a certain pink-haired girl. Lacus has charmed him with her beauty and grace. She has never met a girl so kind and gentle before. Of course, Cagalli was kind and cute too, but tomboyish. Kira laughed at the thought of comparing Lacus and Cagalli. He knew that they were too different.

"What are you laughing about?" a female voice broke into his thoughts. He quickly clamped his mouth and looked at the girl standing right next to him. "Fllay?" murmured Kira.

"What's so funny?" She asked him again, because she was curious to know.

Kira shook his head nervously. "Oh, it's nothing..."

Fllay placed her hands on her waist. "Eh? You must be crazy for laughing without a reason." She leaned against the fence and faced Kira.

"Well, I was thinking of Cagalli and Lacus..."

"I understand Cagalli, but Lacus?" Fllay smirked, as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Hmm... Do you have a crush on Lacus Clyne?" She whispered.

Kira said nothing. He lowered his head, as his face turned red. He did want to tell her his feelings about Lacus, but his shyness got the best of him. Well, Fllay was a stubborn girl so she won't stop until she gets an answer.

"Tell me Kira." She poked his chest. "Tell me now." She sounded sweet.

"Okay... okay... I'll tell you." Kira sighed in frustration. He grabbed the fence and wriggled it a little bit. He leaned his back against the fence. He pictured the pink-haired girl in his mind again. "Lacus..."

"Kira, I'm growing impatient here." Fllay perpetually tapped her foot on the floor. She was not the type of girl who likes to wait. She told Kira to get on with it.

"I'm in love with Lacus Clyne." He said in a low voice. He turned away from Fllay. He expected comments from her. He wished that she wouldn't say anything bad about Lacus.

"Kira," she started in a low and eerie voice. The sound of her voice intimidated Kira. She placed a hand on Kira's shoulder. "Kira, you know what?" She leaned her forehead against his back as she closed her eyes. Kira got surprised at this.

"What are you doing, Fllay?"

At the entrance of the rooftop, Lacus was presently watching them. She was getting hurt and jealous. _Alster-san must be his girlfriend. If that's the case then I don't stand against her, because she's more popular and beautiful than me. _She wanted to cry. She went back to her classroom, where she saw her sister flirting with the boys in class again. _If I'm more like Mia then I could probably get Kira's attention. _

She took a deep breathe before approaching her sister. She dragged Mia out of the crowd and brought her outside. She pinned Mia against the wall and faced her seriously. Mia was astonished. Never in her life has she seen Lacus being aggressive. It was totally new for her.

"What do you want Lacus?" Mia thoughtfully asked her.

"I love Kira, but Kira loves another girl." Lacus spoke in a frail voice.

"Who's the girl?"

"It's Fllay Alster-san." She bit her lip after saying her name.

"What!" screamed Mia. "So that bitch is actually flirting with Kira Hibiki! I can't believe her!" She crossed her arms.

"What should I do, Mia? How can I make Kira fall for me?" Lacus sounded desperate. She looked at Mia with teary eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll help you." Mia replied. She found it to be a great opportunity to destroy her rival.

_Lobby_

She sat on a chair, letting her thoughts wash her away. She was drowned in her own emotions. "Shinn..." she muttered softly. She looked blankly into space. "I... I'm in... Lo-..." Something crossed her mind, snapping her back to reality. "What the hell is wrong with me? I can't be in... Lo-lo... No, not Shinn! He's my best friend." She tried convincing herself, but it was no use.

"Cagalli, are you all right?" A voice asked her. She looked up at the guy and smiled. "I'm all right, Athrun." She just lied.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Um... I have to go now." She instantly bolted out of the place, leaving a trail of tears from her eyes.

"Cagalli, wait!" Athrun stretched out his arms. "Cagalli," muttered Athrun, "what's the matter with you?"

_To be continued..._

* * *

Akatsuki-hime: I'm sorry for making it short, but I just had to end it here. Cagalli's feelings about Shinn were briefly revealed in this chapter. What will happen if Athrun finds out about this? Lacus getting jealous over Fllay... I know she's totally out of character and I'm sorry for that. Please don't flame Fllay and don't flame me... Give me reviews. 


	12. Phase 12: Troubled Hearts

Akatsuki-hime: Hello! Finally, I was able to update it.Okay, here's chapter 12 so enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed Destiny

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Previously:

"_I'm in love with Lacus Clyne." He said in a low voice. He turned away from Fllay. He expected comments from her. He quickly turned around, wishing that she wouldn't say anything bad about Lacus. _

"_Kira," she started in a low and eerie voice. The sound of her voice intimidated Kira. She placed a hand on Kira's shoulder. "Kira, you know what?" She leaned her forehead against his back as she closed her eyes. Kira got surprised at this. _

"_What are you doing, Fllay?" _

Phase 12: Troubled Hearts

Fllay smiled, as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Kira was getting uneasy. "Um... Fllay... Don't tell you're..." He stuttered. Fllay placed her lips near his ear. She whispered something to Kira that gave him quite a surprise. "What did you just say?!"

Fllay lightly laughed. Gently, she pushed Kira away. "I scared you, didn't I?"

Kira sighed in relief. He turned to the red-haired girl and weakly smiled. "Fllay, I appreciate your concern but..." He scratched his head. "I don't want to trouble you."

Fllay shook her head. "If you're going to refuse my offer, I swear I'm going to blackmail you." She showed him a fist.

"But Fllay... Lacus is..."

"No buts!"

"Fllay..." He sighed. "I hope things go well for the both of us."

_Tennis Court_

Stellar was busy warming up for her practice match with her teammate. As she was doing stretching exercise, she saw Lunamaria sitting on a bench near her. She quickly went to her and greeted her with a smile. But Lunamaria gave her a frown, as her eyes glared straightly at her.

"Um... What's the matter?" Stellar innocently asked.

"Hmph... So, Asuka is really you're boyfriend, huh?" Lunamaria hissed, as she crossed her arms.

Stellar nodded her head.

"Of all the boys in school, why did it have to be him? He's the worst guy in school."

"That's not true. Shinn is really nice and kind."

"Oh really... I don't see him acting so tenderly to others."

"Well... Shinn is not really a friendly person, but he's awfully nice to me."

"And to that Hibiki girl too..." Lunamaria sounded pissed.

"Hawke-san, are you mad at Shinn?"

"No, I'm not!" Luna suddenly blurted out. She bolted out of her seat, as she clenched her fists. "I'm mad at you!" She pointed a finger in front of Stellar's face.

Stellar was puzzled. "And why is that?"

"Because I'm... I'm in love with him..." Luna said with hesitation.

Stellar's eyes grew wide after hearing that. "Hawke-san, I didn't know."

"Now you know," said Luna. She turned her back at her. "I'm going to take Shinn from you..." Instantly, she ran off.

Stellar dropped to her knees and stared blankly at the ground. _What should I do? I can't let her take Shinn away from me. Shinn means a lot to me. I love him so much._ She began trembling in fear. "Shinn," murmured Stellar.

_Clinic_

The nurse was busy attending to a blonde guy who got wounded from baseball practice. He got hit on the head by a bat. As the nurse prepared the bandages, he turned to his best friend who was seated right beside him.

"I can't believe you threw that bat away so carelessly." Dearka murmured.

"Hmph, you're the careless one. It was so obvious that the bat was going to hit you, but you didn't evade it." Yzak retorted.

"Hey, I'm the one who got hurt here!"

"Well, it's not my fault why you're hurt!"

In a flash, both of their mouths were sealed with tapes. The nurse grabbed their hands and forced them to shake hands. "Instead of fighting, why don't you two kiss and make up?" She had an aggravated smile on her face.

Yzak removed the tape from his mouth. He glared at the nurse furiously. "You should stay out of other people's business!" He yelled.

"My, my... You're so rude, Yzak Joule." The nurse replied calmly.

Yzak rolled his eyes away from the nurse and faced Dearka again. "We'll talk later!" He quickly stomped out of the clinic.

Dearka sighed, as he removed the tape from his mouth. "He's such a hothead. He kind of reminds me of Cagalli." He turned at the nurse with an apologetic face. "I'm really sorry about Yzak."

"I understand."

Once outside, Yzak encountered Miriallia. He immediately hauled her into a corner, as he greeted her. "Hey there, Hawe... Dearka has been looking for you."

"Oh really?" replied Miriallia. "Where is he right now?"

Yzak gladly pointed at the clinic. "He's in there, because he got hurt during baseball practice." He smiled wickedly. "He's hurt pretty badly." He told her that because he knew that it will upset her.

"Oh no... Dearka..." She muttered. She ran to the clinic. As she entered, she saw Dearka sitting on a bed, while holding the wounded part of his head. "Dearka, are you all right?" She asked, looking worried.

Dearka blushed at the sight of her. He lowered his head, as he smiled. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Yzak told me that you were hurt pretty badly."

Dearka raised one eyebrow at her. "Yzak told you what? I can't believe him." He started mumbling some curses about him.

Miriallia held his hand. "You know... You should be careful when you're playing." She said in a soft voice. She looked at Dearka with her kind eyes that made his heart melt.

All of the sudden, Dearka's fury over Yzak faded away. _Thanks to him, I got the chance to be with her like this._

Standing near the door of the clinic was Yzak. He was presently spying on the two. _I have to admit, those two make a good couple. _

_Park_

Cagalli sat under a big tree in the park. She sat there with a frown on her face. She kept thinking about Shinn and Stellar. Somehow, she felt awful seeing them together. _Why? Am I in love with Shinn? _Her eyes grew wide, as she shook her head. _No, that can't be. I can't be in love with my best friend._

"Cagalli, are you all right?"

At once, Cagalli looked up at the person. "Athrun, what are you doing here?" She asked the blue-haired guy who just sat down beside her. "Don't you have soccer practice today?" She continued.

Athrun leaned his back against the tree, as he stretched out his arms. He turned to the blonde and nodded his head. "Yeah, but I decided to skip it."

"You shouldn't do that."

"Don't worry, I won't do this again."

"That's good to hear."

"Um... Cagalli... about that time..." Athrun started slowly. "When you suddenly ran off..."

"What about it?"

"I saw the tears in your eyes. Why were you crying?"

Cagalli froze in silence. She swiftly turned her head away, because she didn't want to answer his question.

"Please answer me..."

"I'm sorry but I can't tell you."

"Why is that?"

"It's too personal."

"But I thought we were friends and friends shouldn't keep secrets from one another."

At that moment, Cagalli realized that she was upsetting Athrun. She turned back at him. "I'm so sorry." In an instant, she hugged him as tears descended from her golden-brown eyes.

Athrun, without hesitation, hugged her back. "Cagalli..." He whispered into her ear. He brushed through her golden locks. "Seeing you cry like this... makes my heart scream in pain. I don't want to see you looking so sad." He carefully pushed her away to face her. He wiped away the tears in her eyes using his thumb. "Please remember that I'm always here for you. I'm always ready to help you." He smiled at her

"Athrun," said Cagalli. "Thank you." She smiled back at him.

He placed his hand on her cheek, making her blush. Slowly, he leaned forward and placed a kiss on her temple. Of course, she was shocked. She pulled herself away from him, as she held her forehead. "What the hell were you doing?!" She asked him, sounding a little pissed.

Athrun chuckled at her reaction. "Isn't it obvious? I'm trying to cheer you up."

"Well, if that's the case... Well... Um..." She stuttered.

"So, are you ready to tell me about your problem?" Athrun turned serious.

"I don't know how to say this, but I think I'm..." Cagalli started.

_To be continued..._

* * *

Akatsuki-hime: Okay, the chapter ends here. Luna is madly in love with Shinn. Dearka and Miriallia are getting hot. Cagalli is about to tell Athrun about her feelings for Shinn. What's going to happen next? Find out in the next chapter, which will be updated next week. Please don't forget to review and no flames. 


	13. Phase 13: Heart's Falling

Akatsuki-hime: Hey! I'm really sorry if I made you wait. School's been tough on me and I don't have much writing time like JC. Well, here's the 13th chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed Destiny.

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 13: Heart's falling

"I don't know how to say this, but I think I'm..." Cagalli started.

"What the hell is going on around here?" A guy cut her off, as he stood firmly before Athrun and Cagalli.

Cagalli narrowed her eyes at him. "Not you again... What is it this time, Yuuna!" she retorted.

"Well my dear sweet Cagalli, I have come here to ask you on a date and to take you away from this idiot." Yuuna glared at Athrun, with arms crossed.

In an instant, Cagalli stood and showed a fist to Yuuna. "Why don't you go jump off a bridge or something!" she yelled at him. "I will never go on a date with a wimp like you!"

"Oh come on, I know you're just shy to admit it."

"You just don't quit, do you!"

"I will never quit. I made a promise to myself that I will make you my girlfriend." Yuuna said with enthusiasm. He pulled out a red rose from his pocket and showed it to Cagalli. "Here, take this rose as a symbol of my love."

"Don't get fresh with me, you weirdo!"

"This rose fits you perfectly you know."

"I don't know if you just complimented me or insulted me. Either way, I won't buy it."

"Cagalli, I know you love me. Just confess your love already."

Cagalli was getting more aggravated. She wanted to punch Yuuna right on the face. But she hesitated, because a lot of children were around the park. Instead, she just stepped on his foot.

"Ouch!" yelled Yuuna. He hopped on his other foot, as he soothed his sore one. At the moment, he looked hysterical.

"This guy is so persistent." Athrun finally spoke up, as he stood.

"That's one of his annoying qualities," Cagalli said. "Let's go before I decide to kill this guy." She walked off in a hurry.

Athrun followed her closely. He noticed how angrily Cagalli looked, so he didn't bother to ask her about what she was going to say a while ago. Still, he was rather curious about it.

_Streets _

It was already dark and Meyrin Hawke was walking home from school. As she walked passed an alley, a group of men surrounded her. They looked at her keenly with malicious grins.

"W-what... what do you guys want?" Meyrin nervously asked them. She held onto her school bag tightly, as her hands started to shake.

A guy who seemed to be the leader stepped forward. "Miss, you're awfully pretty. Why don't you play with us for a while?" he said.

Immediately, Meyrin shook her head. She took a few steps backward, but another guy grabbed her wrists, making her drop her bag. "Ah!" yelled Meyrin, struggling to get away. "Let me go this instant!"

"Come on, let's play. We won't bite."

She screamed for help, hoping that somebody would hear her voice.

Suddenly, a guy jumped in and kicked the leader away. He then charged towards the guy who was holding Meyrin. He punched him right on the face.

Meyrin dropped to her knees as soon as she was released. She trembled in fear, as she held her head.

Her rescuer knelt down before her. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay," he said, "you're safe now."

Meyrin recognized his voice. He looked up at him and gasped. "Auel?" she muttered.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of these guys for you." Auel assured her. He stood and faced the other guys who were looking angrily at him. He just smiled back at them. "So, who wants to be my next victim?" He said with confidence.

Instantly, the guys attacked but Auel easily defeated him. Of course, he was more skillful at fighting than them. When the last guy was defeated, he went back to Meyrin.

"I beat the crap out of all of them. That will teach them a lesson not to mess around with girls."

"Auel," Meyrin softly spoke, "thank you for saving me."

"It was nothing."

Auel helped her stand up. He picked up her bag on the ground and gave it to her. When Meyrin took the bag, she immediately hugged Auel.

"M-Mey-Meyrin..." Auel said, not knowing that his face was turning red.

Meyrin started to cry.

"Wait a minute... What's with the tears?"

"I was so frightened a while ago. I didn't know what to do. I'm so lucky that I've been saved by you. Thank you so much."

"Meyrin," Auel said, as he gently pushed her back to face her. "You know that I'm the kind of guy you can count on anytime."

"I'm so glad that you're my friend." After saying this, she hugged him again and cried on his shoulder.

Although he was happy to be called a friend, he was also sad. _Am I really just a friend to her? _He silently thought, as he grimaced.

_Arcade (Next Day)_

Shinn has done it again. He skipped school so he could have a fun time in the arcade, where he rules at every game he plays. Of course, he would get into fist fights most of the time, because he tends to be rough with challenging players.

While he was playing Tekken 5, he noticed a blonde girl coming into the arcade. _She looks familiar... Where have I seen her before? _When he finished the game, he went to her for a closer look. He gasped when he found out that it was Stellar.

"Stellar, what are you doing here?" Shinn asked her.

Stellar showed him a friendly smile. "Our homeroom teacher is absent and you weren't in class, so I figured that you would be here and I was right." She explained.

"I see... Well, you should be heading back now. 2nd period is about to start."

"I'm not going back without you. School's pretty boring if you're not around."

Shinn's cheeks turned red in an instant. "Well," he nervously started, "I'm planning to cut classes."

Stellar frowned. "I see," she sighed. "Um... Does Cagalli-san know that you're here?"

Shinn trembled at the mere sound of her name. He shook his head, vigorously. "No, because Cagalli will definitely kill me for skipping classes again."

"Then I better tell her right away." Stellar sounded serious, which made Shinn worried.

"Please don't tell her."

Stellar lightly laughed. "I was only kidding, Shinn. I won't tell her."

Shinn sighed in relief. "That's good to hear."

"Um... I have to go back now."

"I'll see you later, Stellar."

"Yeah, later..." Stellar waved a hand, before exiting the place.

As for Shinn, he went back to playing some more games.

_Gym_

The gym was currently quiet. Nobody was there except for Lunamaria Hawke who was seated on bench beside the basketball court. She was deeply thinking about Shinn. She wondered if a guy like him could ever like a goody-good girl like her. They were the complete opposites, and she prayed that Shinn would notice her once in a while.

_They say opposites attract, but that only works in the movies. _She sighed, as she crossed her arms. Her mind suddenly showed her a flashback of the scene in the garden, where she saw Shinn and Stellar kissed. Immediately, she shook her head. _I can't get rid of that memory inside my head! _

She noticed a basketball near her feet. She picked it up and started bouncing it. She stood and went to the court. She faced the ring, seriously. She threw the ball to the ring, but the ball hit the board instead. The impact caused the ball to bounce back to her face. _Ouch! _

Angrily, she threw the ball away and screamed. "Why do bad things keep happening to me? First, I get low grades in Science. Second, my classmates ignore me for trying to be teacher's pet. Lastly, Shinn bullies me around because he hates me!" She shouted at the top of her lungs.

"If that's the case," she lowered her voice, "why do I love him?" She dropped to her knees and buried her face in her hands. "Why?" she asked herself.

_Girl's Locker Room_

Fllay was changing into her cheerleading uniform. When she put on her mini-skirt, she quickly stood in front of a full-length mirror to see if she looked okay.

_Everything seems okay. My hair, my looks, and my style are almost perfect. _She giggled at the thought. She turned around and saw a familiar pink-haired girl coming in. At first she thought that it was Mia, but fortunately it was Lacus.

"Hi," greeted Fllay, while showing a smile, "so how was your day?"

Lacus forcefully smiled at Fllay. She still didn't forget how Fllay flirted with Kira at the rooftop. But she doesn't want to act rashly towards Fllay so she decided to act friendly like she always does.

"Hello, Alster-san. Well, my day has been very boring." Lacus replied in a low voice.

"I see," Fllay said. She grabbed her baton and twirled it around. "Clyne, do you want to try out for the cheerleading club?" She asked her, hoping she would say yes.

"What!" gasped Lacus. She shook her head. "No, I don't have what it takes to be a cheerleader."

"Huh?"

"It's because I don't know how to dance or perform any of those moves you make." Lacus shyly said.

"Your sister, Mia, is more of the dancer."

Lacus simply nodded her head.

"But I don't want her for the team."

"I think I know the reason why."

"I'm sorry to say this but your sister is really a pain. She annoys me every single day."

"She just hates girls who are better than her."

Fllay shook her head, rapidly. "No, I'm not better than her. Well, I'm good in cheerleading, but in acting well... no..."

"You're just saying that."

"I'm not lying, you know."

"Okay, let us change the subject."

"What do you want to talk about now?" Fllay seemed interested. At the moment, she felt pleased talking to Lacus like close friends. Of course, Fllay liked Lacus a lot than Mia.

On the other hand, Lacus felt disgusted. She didn't want to be with Fllay, but she didn't want to leave a bad impression on her. She stared at her blue-violet eyes that were purely fascinating. At that, she felt more inferior and more staggered.

_She's really beautiful. No wonder Kira likes her... _Lacus felt like crying, but she stayed strong. She put on a smile again, as she looked at Fllay. "Let's talk about Kira..." After saying that, she paused for a while to think about it. _What did I say that? That came out all of the sudden. Oh no... I'm such an idiot. _

"Why do want to talk about Kira?" Fllay curiously asked.

Lacus panicked. She couldn't possibly tell Fllay that she likes Kira. She tried to think of an excuse, but none came into her mind.

"Clyne, I asked you a question." Fllay raised an eyebrow at her.

"Um... well... I..." Lacus stuttered, looking nervous.

At that moment, Fllay mischievously smiled. _From the looks of it, Clyne has a crush on Kira. He will be so pleased when he hears this. But hold on a second... maybe it would be best not to tell him. Maybe I should make this more challenging for him. That'll be great. I hope Kira's ready for this. _She lightly giggled, which caught Lacus' attention.

"Why are you giggling?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Fllay immediately answered. "So, you wanna talk about Kira... Well that's fine with me. I'll start."

Even though she disliked Fllay a little, she still listened to her very carefully.

_To be continued..._

_

* * *

_

Akatsuki-hime: Okay, Lacus really thinks that Fllay is Kira's girlfriend. She's getting totally jealous over her, and I know that she's OOC. I'm sorry about that. I'll update the next chapter soon. Please send the reviews and no flames!


	14. Phase 14: On Friendly Terms

Akatsuki-hime: Hi! I'm sorry if it took so long to update. Hehe... I kinda rush this chapter so I'm not sure about the grammar and spelling. Okay, please read on...

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed Destiny. I will never will...

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 14: On friendly terms

_Minerva High School_

It was the day of the competition. Cagalli and Kira, along with their teammates, were all gathered in Minerva High School's Track and Field. Coach Neumann was currently giving advises to his team, while his assistant was checking if all players were present. When he saw Shinn's name on the list, he immediately searched for him only to realize that he was missing.

"Where's Shinn Asuka?" the assistant asked the coach.

Coach Neumann turned to him, with a worried look on his face. "Asuka is not here yet?!" he murmured, "This can't be happening. We need Asuka for the first match!"

"I bet he won't show up," said the assistant.

"I'm definitely going to kill him if he doesn't show." The Coach instantly turned his head at Cagalli who was busy talking to Kira at the moment. "Hibiki-san, you're Asuka's best friend, right?" he asked.

Cagalli looked at the coach and nodded her head.

"Then tell me where is he now?"

"Shinn is probably on his way here," she replied, "so you don't have to worry about him."

"How can you be so sure about that?"

Cagalli smirked at him. "Oh, I'm sure of it because I know him so well."

"The last time we had an event like this he didn't even bother to show up."

"Just trust me coach... He'll come here."

Not a moment too soon, Shinn arrived as expected. He approached the coach and gave him an awkward smile. "I'm sorry that I'm late," he said, while scratching the back of his head.

Coach Neumann raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't you know what time it is already? You are an hour late, Asuka!" he scolded.

"I got into a fight before getting here. It was unavoidable."

"Anyway, just go change into your uniform." Cagalli butted in before they could get into an argument.

Shinn walked over to the dressing room to change.

_Destiny High School (Room 2-B)_

Lunamaria sighed at the ringing of the school bell. It was already time for class, but she felt like skipping it. She wasn't in the mood because Shinn wasn't in school. She knew that he was busy running in a sports event so it can't be help. She silently wished that she was one of the cheerleaders so she could cheer for him.

"I've tried auditioning for the Cheerleading Team, but I failed. I wasn't good enough." Lunamaria slouched in her seat, as she fiddled with her fingers.

Stellar walked into the classroom. She immediately approached Lunamaria and gave her a worried look. "G-good morning," greeted Stellar, "Hawke-san."

Lunamaria instantly stood up and faced her with a stern look. "What do you want?" she questioned.

"I just want to talk to you for a while," Stellar replied.

"Didn't you hear the bell? It's already time for class. If you want to talk then let's do it later."

"Um... Okay then."

When Stellar was about to go to her seat, Lunamaria pulled her closer to her and whispered something into her ear. "If you don't want any trouble then you give Shinn to me."

Stellar's eyes grew wide after hearing that. She quickly pulled away from Luna, as she stared at her innocently. "Hawke-san, you're really serious..." She said in a low voice.

Luna smirked at her. "Of course I am."

_Room 3-A_

During lunch hour, Lacus went to Room 3-A to see Kira. As she got there, she was told by Dearka that he wasn't there. Lacus turned around, looking depressed, as she deeply sighed.

_I have completely forgotten about the competition. _She lightly bonked herself on the head for that. Before walking off, she was confronted by Dearka who seemed to have some questions for her.

"What do you want, Elthman-kun?" Lacus asked.

"Why are you looking for Hibiki anyway? Is there something you want from him?" Dearka insisted on the questions.

Lacus shook her head. "No, I just wanted to see him."

At that, Dearka had a feeling that Lacus likes Kira. He grinned at Lacus, making her feel uneasy. Dearka folded his arms as he leaned against the wall beside him.

"What is it?" Lacus nervously asked.

"You have a crush on him, don't you?"

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do. It's all written on your face, Clyne." Dearka pointed a finger in front of her face.

Lacus panicked when she realized that she was blushing. _Oh no! This is too obvious! _She yelled in her mind.

Dearka giggled at her reaction. "Just calm down," he said, "don't take it so seriously."

"But you found out and I..."

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"Do you really mean it?"

"Yes, I do. I'm a man of promises."

"Oh, thank you so much."

In her excitement, she held Dearka's hand and shook it. Dearka immediately looked left and right to see if Milly was around. Then he just remembered that Milly was at Minerva High School to do a report about the competition. He felt relief and awkward at the same time.

_If Milly will see me with Clyne, I don't know what to do. _

_Garden _

After class, Stellar and Lunamaria met under a tree in the garden. They sat down on a patch of grass and stared silently at each other for a while.

"I'm waiting," said Luna, raising an eyebrow.

"Huh?"

Luna groaned, "What do you mean huh?! You wanna talk about Shinn, right?! So, what are you waiting for?!"

"Oh... sorry..."

"Make it quick, okay? I don't want you to bore me to death." Lunamaria hissed, as she turned away from Stellar.

Stellar sighed, as she leaned against the tree. "Hawke-san, why do you love Shinn?" she suddenly asked, which gave Luna a surprise.

"What did you just said?" Gradually, Luna turned her head back at Stellar.

"Why do you love Shinn?" Stellar repeated for her.

At that, Luna's cheeks showed a hint of redness. "Well... I..." She stuttered.

"I wanna know the reason why, Hawke-san." Stellar sounded demanding.

"I love Shinn because he's interesting," Luna shyly said. She lowered her head to avoid eye contact with Stellar.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I know Shinn is a bully and he always bosses people around like me. He's very inconsiderate and he has a violent temper like Joule."

_Cafeteria_

The two best friends, Yzak and Dearka were busy eating some snacks when all of the sudden...

"Achoo!" Yzak sneezed.

Dearka immediately pulled his food away from Yzak to avoid his germs. He looked repulsively at his friend.

"That was unexpected," said Dearka.

Yzak pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his nose with it. "Yeah," he said, "somebody must be talking about me."

"Hmmm... Maybe that somebody is an admirer." Dearka started teasing, which eventually pissed Yzak off.

"Will you quit it?!" yelled Yzak, as he showed a clenched fist to Dearka.

"Okay, I'm shutting up now." Dearka lightly laughed. _Man, what a grouch._

_Garden _

"But most of all, Shinn is a really nice guy." Luna's heart skipped a beat as she finished her statement.

"A nice guy?" muttered Stellar, "He's more than that. Shinn is a very caring and understanding person."

"You don't have to tell me that!" Luna uttered.

"It seems like you're the kind of girl who can see a person's true heart." Stellar said that with a smile.

"Hmph, what do you know about me? I'm just some girl in class who is being ignored everyday!" She folded her arms in front of her chest, as she continued. "I've found out about his personality through constant observations of him when he's with Hibiki." She blurted without a care.

"That's because Cagalli-san is Shinn's best friend, so it's only natural for him to act so nice to her."

"Anyway, I still hate you and Hibiki!"

"You only feel that way about us because we're close to Shinn."

"That's right and I'm going to take him away from you."

Stellar narrowed her eyes. "Hawke-san," she started, "Shinn loves me and I love him. I'm not going to let you destroy our relationship."

"Is that a threat?" Lunamaria showed a spiteful grin.

"Hawke-san, you can't force him to love you and you know that."

"We'll see about that, Stellar Loussier-san." Lunamaria said. She stood and walked away in a hurry.

Stellar clasped her hands together, silently hoping that everything will be all right. _I don't want to lose Shinn, but I don't want to fight Hawke-san either. What should I do? _

_Entrance_

Lacus was waiting near the entrance of the school for her sister. Mia was really taking her time and Lacus was getting tired of just standing in one spot. She looked around to see if anybody was around.

_Since nobody's around I might as well sing a song to past the time. _She silently thought.

She carefully placed her bag on the floor and then she clasped her hands together. She hummed a sweet tune before she started singing.

_In this quiet night_

_I'm waiting for you_

_Forgetting the past_

_And dreaming of you_

_Time passes by_

_And memories fade_

_But time can't erase_

_The love that we made_

During her singing, Fllay happened to pass by and heard her. She quickly pulled herself into a corner to hide from Lacus. She peeked at the pink-haired girl, as she listened to her song carefully.

_Hold me close_

_So deep in your heart_

_I will find you_

_No matter where I have to go_

_Just dream of me_

_For I will be there_

_Follow the stars that lead_

_Into the quiet night_

After the song, Fllay came out of hiding and showed herself to Lacus. She clapped her hands as she gave Lacus a sweet smile.

"Alster-san, you were listening to me?" Lacus sounded surprised.

"Yes," Fllay replied, "and you have a beautiful voice."

Lacus blushed at that remark. "Um... thank you very much."

"That song," said Fllay, "Quiet Night is one of my favorites. I like your version better than Campbell's."

"Really?" she questioned. "But a lot of fans like her version better."

"Well, I'm not one of those fans." Fllay winked an eye at her.

"I'm very pleased to hear that, Alster-san."

Suddenly, Fllay placed a finger on Lacus' mouth. She quietly shook her head, as she sighed. She removed her finger from her mouth before she spoke. "Please don't call me Alster-san. You make it look like that I'm older than you. I'm still a sophomore you know."

She struck her red hair and placed a hand on her waist. "Just call me Fllay, okay?" said Fllay.

Lacus nodded her head. "Okay, Fllay-san."

"Again with the san!" she groaned. "Fllay... Just Fllay..."

"If you say so," she giggled at her reaction.

At that moment, she realized that her hatred towards Fllay has vanished a little. At first, she thought of her as a spoiled girl who has nothing better to do than to flirt with boys. Well, that was what Mia told her. But she could see that Fllay was a kind and a fun girl to be with.

The rooftop scene between Fllay and Kira still bothered her. _Mia told me not to be friendly with her because she's my rival to Kira's heart. Still, I want to be friends with her... I can't decide. _

Fllay noticed that Lacus became silent. "Um, Clyne... Hello?" she said, as she waved a hand in front of her face.

At that, Lacus quickly snapped back to reality. "What is it?" she said.

"You seemed to be a little dazed. Is everything all right?"

"I was just spacing out. I'm sorry if it concerns you."

"And I thought you were daydreaming about Kira."

"What?!" she shrieked, as her cheeks turned red.

Fllay instantly smirked when she saw her red cheeks. "You like Kira, don't you?" She pointed a finger at Lacus. "The last time I talked about Kira, you really looked happy and fascinated. At that moment, I knew that you like him."

Lacus said nothing. She slowly lowered her head and focused her eyes on the ground.

"Just tell me the truth, Clyne. Why are you hesitating?"

"It's because Hibiki-kun is your boyfriend..." Lacus slowly said.

"What did you just say?!" Fllay uttered, as she raised one eyebrow. "That's pretty absurd. Kira is not my boyfriend."

Lacus was surprised to hear this. "Is that really true?" she asked, "Then how come you two are really close?"

"Don't you know that Kira and I are very good friends? We've been friends since Junior High. I'm sorry if I didn't tell you during our talk yesterday."

"But you two don't hang out often," she reasoned.

"That's true," Fllay agreed, "but it's only because I'm busy with cheerleading." She deeply sighed. "I didn't expect that High School Cheerleading will really consume my time. When I was still in Junior High, I always spend time with Kira." She looked sad.

"Fllay..."

"I'll tell you one thing," Fllay said, as she smiled again, "Kira will always remain a friend to me. If you want him as a boyfriend then you can have him." She giggled.

Lacus' eyes grew wide. "I... I really don't know what to say." She stuttered.

"If you want, I can help you."

"Then I'm in your debt, Fllay." Lacus slightly bowed her head, showing her gratefulness to Fllay.

Lacus was delighted to have a friend like Fllay. Of course, she hasn't forgotten about Mia's hatred towards Fllay. She planned to keep her friendship with Fllay as secret from Mia to avoid trouble. Nevertheless, she silently hoped that Mia and Fllay would be friends someday.

_To be continued..._

* * *

Akatsuki-hime: I'm glad that's done. Dearka and Lacus here are only friends so don't be alarmed. Lunamaria is dead serious about taking Shinn for herself. Poor Stellar... I'm sorry if there were no AsuCaga scenes here. But in the next chapter, there will be some. 


	15. Phase 15: Untying Affections

Akatsuki-hime: All right! My mom finally let me use the computer since I did well in my Chemistry test. I was really worried because if I fail, mom was going take away the computer from my room. Without the computer, I can't write my fics anymore- that would be bad. Okay, enough of that and let's get on with the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed Destiny.

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 15: Untying Affections

_Minerva High School (Locker Room)_

Shinn was fixing his things, with a positive smile on his smile. He was, in fact, happy that he won 2nd place in the competition. Of course, he was a little upset when Kira beaten him but their school won the gold. Unlike last year, he was able to give a good impression to the coach this time.

When he was ready to go, he turned to the door and saw Cagalli leaning against the frame, with her arms crossed in front of her chest. She was looking at him with keen eyes that gave Shinn a shivering feeling.

"What is it?" asked Shinn, looking nervous, as he stepped forward.

"I just want to congratulate you," replied Cagalli.

"Well... thanks... By the way, you did a great job too. You won 1st place in the female bracket." He said with a smile, as he leaned his shoulder against the wall while facing the blonde. He looked at her, with soft eyes and a charming smile that made Cagalli's heart restless.

_Shinn, I love you so much... But I know that you're heart will only belong to Stellar. I can never compete with her. Maybe I should give up my feelings for you... I know that we can never be more than friends. _

She sighed, disturbingly.

"What's wrong?" Shinn asked her, looking worried.

Cagalli shook her head. "Nothing... I'm just tired that's all. Come on, let's go." She walked out in a hurry, with a sad look on her face. Her eyes showed signs of pain and she tried hard to stop her tears.

Shinn caught up with her, feeling disturbed. He called out her name, making her stop. He placed a hand on her shoulder, forcing her to turn to him.

"What's with the hold up?" questioned Cagalli, looking annoyed. "We have to go now or the bus will leave us."

For a moment, Shinn thought that something was wrong with her. But as he could see, Cagalli was fine and rather pissed off. He scratched his head, feeling awkwardly, as he sighed in relief.

Cagalli just raised an eyebrow. "Okay, we really have to go!" She suddenly ran off while pulling Shinn with her.

_Room 1-A (Next day, Lunch hour) _

Meyrin took out two lunchboxes from her bag. She set them on her desk as she smiled thoughtfully. She was thinking of giving one of them to Auel, to pay him back somehow for saving her from trouble. She turned to look across the room where she could see him standing by the window, while staring into space. She had to admit that Auel was showing a very unusually trait, but he was still cute as ever.

She stood up, carrying the lunchboxes with her. She hid them behind her back as she took a deep breathe.

_Okay, here goes..._ She approached Auel and greeted him with a cheery smile on her face. Of course, Auel has noticed her before she even greeted him. He faced her nervously, while trying his best not to blush.

"Um... Auel, I was wondering," she started, showing a cute face to Auel.

"What is it, Meyrin?" Auel was having lumps in his throat. He was having trouble just standing there in front of Meyrin.

"I made you lunch." She said, showing the lunchboxes to him. "Want to have lunch together?"

At that moment, Auel wanted to jump out of the window because of happiness. Who wouldn't be happy? Your crush just asked you to have lunch with her! Auel felt so obliged that he almost tripped on his own. He managed to regain balance as he faced the pigtailed girl again.

"Of course, I would love to." He said this with a smile.

_After Class..._

Cagalli was heading home, looking tired. She wanted to rest so badly, and she hoped that she could get home without any trouble. But the weather wasn't really nice to her...

It started to rain, heavily. Cagalli was getting soaked in the rain, but she didn't bother to find shelter because she wanted to go home right away. Clutching onto her backpack, she ran through the rain in a rapid speed. The road was getting slippery but that didn't stop her from running. When she reached the street, she didn't even mind to look both sides of the road before crossing- a careless move.

As she reached the middle of the street, a speeding car suddenly appeared and it was heading towards her. She was about run when she slipped and fell to the ground. Now there was no time for her to escape. She shut her eyes close and held her head. What she expected at that moment was pain, but...

The car beeped its horn and the lights flashed brightly. It was only seconds till the car will hit her. At the verge of danger, someone bravely pushed her away. The car bolted out of sight, leaving a trail of smoke along the way.

On the other side of the street, Cagalli was safe and sound in the arms of a blue-haired guy. She opened her eyes as she felt that she was out of danger, but the fear in her heart was still there. She looked at her rescuer, hastily and carefully, only to be shocked to see that it was Athrun.

"You saved me," she said in a rather nervous tone.

"Are you okay, Cagalli?" he asked calmly, as he sat up to help her. He placed both hands on her shoulders and looked at her softly with his emerald-green eyes. He knitted a smile on his face, ensuring Cagalli that she was safe.

Cagalli was speechless. Not only that she was grateful for his help, but something also struck her while currently gazing at his eyes. An unexplainable and perplexing feeling ventured into her heart and this made her uneasy. She was silent for awhile before she snapped back to her senses.

"Uh, Athrun!" she scowled, leaning forward to place her head on his shoulder. She yelped a little before she wrapped her arms around him. Trembling, she tried to smile but it disappeared after awhile. Then, there was silence again...

Athrun understood her. What just happened a moment ago was too frightening even for a brave girl like Cagalli. He shivered at the thought that he was going to lose Cagalli if he hadn't been there to save her.

"Cagalli, it's okay now. You're all right." He rubbed her back to soothe her, and that it may her back to her old self. Hugging her back, Cagalli was able to calm down. Gently, he pushed her away to see her delicate face but all he could see was a terrified one.

"Cagalli..." he said in a low voice. He brushed away some strands of her hair that were now wet because of the rain. He touched her cheek and he blushed at the mere sight of her golden-brown eyes. At that moment, he felt the urged to confess his feelings to her but he found it to be awkward to do it during the time of rain. Thinking about the rain, Athrun just realized that both of them were so drenched.

"Oh no..." sighed Athrun. "We better get out of the rain quick before we catch a cold."

He stood up as he grabbed his bag with one hand. He bent forward and extended his hand to the blonde, to help her stand up. He looked at her slightly with a cheery smile, waiting for her to take his hand.

"Come on, Cagalli. We can't stay in the rain forever."

At that point, Cagalli finally looked at him with color in her eyes. She made a smile that was so blissful, though her drenched hair hid her face. She took his hand and she was pulled up by him. She carefully placed a hand on his shoulder as she gazed at his eyes. Her heart grew more and it pounded louder and louder, as her cheeks started to show a hint of redness. She stayed silent until a car speeding by splashed them with water. Now, they were even wetter than ever. However, that incident didn't anger Cagalli but it amused her instead.

"I can't believe the luck we're having." Cagalli laughed aloud, making Athrun laugh as well.

They laughed without a care under the rain. They felt nothing but happiness and warmth, even though their bodies were feeling the sharp coldness of the weather. And in that joyous moment, Cagalli felt something grew in her heart.

_To be continued..._

_

* * *

_

Akatsuki-hime: I'm finally finished with this one. I have to start writing the next one quick so I can update it right away. Please don't forget to review! I don't want flames.


	16. Phase 16: How far would you go for Love?

Akatsuki-hime: Finally, I finished chapter 16. I'm very sorry for keeping you guys waiting. I was very busy with my studies as usual. I don't have free time like JC-chan. Wah! Oh, get on with the fic.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed Destiny.

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 16: How far would you go for Love?

It was Sunday Morning.

Lunamaria was walking through the park, looking gloomy, while she held rage in her eyes. She sat at a bench near the playground and brushed her fingers through her red-violet hair.

"I have to find some way to remove Stellar from Shinn's life. Shinn doesn't deserve a girl like her." She groaned furiously, eyes narrowing, while she bit her lip. "Shinn belongs to me."

At a certain distance, she saw the guy she loves walking by. A smile instantly came to her face as her eyes shone with admiration. She clasped her hands together as she giggled like a fan girl.

"It's really him. I can't believe this. Now is my chance!"

But before she could even stand up, she saw Stellar running towards Shinn and giving him a hug.

"Stellar!" screamed Lunamaria, looking surprised. She shook her head rapidly as her eyes narrowed. "She always ruins my perfect chances. I hate her more than ever!" She turned around and walked off.

_Public Library_

"Where is that book again?" Miriallia asked herself, as she searched around for the needed book. She kept looking for it until she grew tired. It seemed that the book was nowhere to be found. She approached the librarian to ask about the book but when she reached there, she saw Dearka standing in front of the desk.

"Dearka, what are you doing here?" she asked the blonde-guy, as she approached him.

Dearka quickly turned around at the sound of her voice. He faced Miriallia with a big goofy, yet handsome, smile. "Hello there!" he said in a loud voice.

"Sshhh!" shushed Miriallia, "Keep your voice down."

Dearka clamped his mouth. "I'm sorry about that," he apologized to her.

"That's okay. Anyway, what are you doing here? I thought you hate libraries." Miriallia said knowingly.

Dearka lightly laughed as he nodded his head. "Well, you're right about that. I just came here to borrow a book that Yzak needed for his Term Paper." He explained.

"Why didn't Joule come here instead?"

"Unfortunately, he hates quiet places. Letting him come here would really annoy the guy."

"I see. You're friend is really weird." Miriallia giggled pleasantly.

During this, Dearka gazed at her with awe, as his cheeks turned slightly red.

"You're really cute," he said that without even thinking.

Miriallia stopped and looked at him peculiarly. "What did you just say?"

"I said that you're really cute, Miriallia." Dearka spoke in a gentle voice this time.

"Dearka..." was all that Miriallia could say because her heart was caught unexpectedly.

_Biology Lab (Next Day) _

"Thank you Clyne-san for assisting me," the Biology technician told the pink haired girl who was standing before him.

"You are very welcome, sir. If you need my help again just give me a call." Lacus said before she winked an eye at him.

She made her way to the door. When she was about to open it, the door suddenly slid open.

"Eh?" she muttered, looking surprised, while staring at the person who just opened the door. "Hibiki-kun..." Her cheeks turned slightly red.

"Oh, it's you Clyne-san. Hi!" Kira told her, smiling awkwardly.

"What are you doing here, Hibiki-kun?"

"I came here to borrow a science book from the technician. Is he here?"

Lacus directly pointed at the technician who was now cleaning the microscopes. "There he is," she said.

"I hope he has the book," said Kira as he turned back to Lacus. "By the way Clyne-san, are you free tomorrow after school?"

Lacus nodded her head. "Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if we could hang out or something... j-just the two of us. W-what do you say?" He stuttered, feeling nervous, as he scratched the back of his head.

_Did I just hear that right? _Her eyes widened in surprise. _Kira is asking me out! I can't believe it. _She wanted to jump for joy. She looked at Kira, with a broad smile, and said, "Sure, I would love to hang out with you!"

"That's great!" he exclaimed. "Let's meet at the school gate after class, okay?"

"All right," she answered with cheeks flushed pink.

Lurking outside the Biology lab, Fllay was listening to Kira and Lacus.

"Kira managed to pull it off," she muttered, "and I thought he was too shy to do it."

When Kira stepped out of the lab, Fllay immediately hauled him into a corner. "Fllay, what is it? I already did what you told me." Kira said nervously.

Fllay nodded her head. "Yes, I know that. I heard everything you know." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You did!" Kira's face turned red as a tomato. He quickly turned around, showing his back to Fllay, as he lowered his head. "You must think that I was pretty stupid back there."

Fllay sighed. "Yes, you were but..."

"What is it?"

"You did a good job even though it was my idea." Fllay said proudly.

"Yeah, you're right. Thank you, Fllay..." He was saying while his head was slightly turned.

Fllay suddenly hit back very hard. She gave off a light laugh before she placed an arm over his shoulders. "Oh come on, Kira, you don't have to thank me. You know that I'm always ready to help you."

"And you know what?" said Kira, looking kinda pissed off, as he glared at Fllay. "You don't have to hit me that hard, Fllay."

Fllay pulled herself away from Kira as she made a peace sign with her fingers. "Sorry about that..." She lightly laughed.

_Garden _

Shinn was walking back and forth around the garden, waiting for Stellar to arrive. His patience was growing thinner and thinner, and it was really getting late. He wondered why Stellar was taking so much time in cleaning the classroom.

"I hope Stellar will hurry. I'm getting kinda hungry here." Shinn complained as his stomach growled. He held his stomach and sighed. "I want some food."

Unexpectedly, his wish came true.

"Here you go, Shinn." He looked up at the person who was holding a hamburger in her hand. He raised an eyebrow when he saw that the person was Lunamaria.

"What are you doing here?" Shinn coldly asked.

"You said that you were hungry so I'm giving my food to you." Lunamaria answered.

"I didn't ask for your food, Hawke." Shinn stood and walked away from her.

Of course, Lunamaria felt hurt but she wasn't going to stop there. After all, she was determined to get Shinn no matter what it takes. So, she ran towards Shinn and hugged him.

"Please don't go!" she exclaimed, holding him even tighter.

Shinn was very shocked because of that. He tried pushing Lunamaria away but she held him very tightly. Because of that, he wondered why she was acting that way.

"Will you please let go of me!"

Lunamaria shook her head. "No, I won't! I don't want to let you go!" She shouted, making Shinn even angrier.

"You're really annoying, Hawke!" He struggled to break free without hurting Lunamaria, but she was really stubborn. "Ah! Let go!"

"Shinn, I don't want to let you go because I love you!" Her cheeks flushed red as she faced him with teary eyes. "I love you, Shinn..."

"Huh? Are you sick or something?" Shinn, even though he was surprised, pretended that he wasn't affected by her words.

"I'm telling you the truth. I really love you!" Tears started falling from her eyes. She leaned her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

"Hawke, you're serious... I can't believe it..."

Cagalli went to the garden to find Shinn. During her search, she managed to see Lunamaria and Shinn together. _What the hell is Shinn doing! He's hugging Lunamaria but why? Don't tell me he's two-timing Stellar. I'm not going to let him get away with that. _She clenched her fists, feeling aggravated. "Shinn!" she called out, revealing herself to them.

When Shinn heard her voice, he immediately pulled himself away from Lunamaria. He looked at Cagalli worriedly. "Cagalli, it's not what you think. She was just..."

"You better have an explanation for this, Shinn!" She cut him off. "If you're having a relationship with her then I will never forgive you!" She warned him.

Shinn immediately shook his head. "She was the one who hugged me!" He pointed at Lunamaria. "I wasn't doing anything wrong, believe me."

"What are you saying, Shinn?" Lunamaria spoke up this time. She approached Shinn and cuddled his arm. "Didn't you just tell me that you love me?" She winked an eye at him.

"Shinn, you two-timer!" yelled Cagalli, as she glared furiously at him.

"Cagalli, don't believe her! She's lying to you. I didn't tell her such things. The only girl I love is Stellar!"

Lunamaria poked his chest and placed a hand on his cheek. "Stop denying it, Shinn. I know you're just too shy to admit your feelings to me." She leaned forward to kiss him. But Shinn immediately pushed her away, sending her to the ground.

"You're pathetic, Hawke! If you think I'll fall for your tricks then you better think again. I know why you're doing this! It's for revenge right? It's because I always pick on you, is that it!"

"But I really love you, Shinn." Lunamaria cried.

"Enough! I don't want to hear that!"

"Shinn..." Feeling hurt, she stood up and ran away.

When she was gone, Shinn turned to Cagalli who was looking seriously at him. "Look, I don't love the girl heck I don't even like her. She was the one seducing me." He lowered his head and stared at the ground.

"If that's the case, then she must be pretty desperate." Cagalli said knowingly.

"What do you mean by that?"

"She really loves you, Shinn."

"What!" he exclaimed, shaking his head. "That can't be possible!"

_To be continued..._

_

* * *

_Akatsuki-hime: So, how was it? I'll update the next chapter next week. Please review and no flames! _  
_


	17. Phase 17: A Moment to Remember

Akatsuki-hime: I'm sorry if I'm updating slow. I'm getting busier these days. Even JC-Zala doesn't have time to check my story anymore because she's focusing on her studies. Remember **Love Fulfilled**? Well, the sequel will be coming soon. I'm getting excited as well. It was supposed to be updated on February but it's already March. JC-Zala decided to finish **Gundam Seed: Mythical Legends **first before the sequel.

Okay, please read on...

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed Destiny.

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 17: A Moment to Remember

The door of room 3-A slid opened. Mia entered with haste as she spotted Athrun talking to Cagalli. Growing jealous, she marched towards Athrun and grabbed his arm. She wrapped his arm tightly and placed it near her chest, causing Athrun to blush slightly.

"Campbell!" uttered Athrun, looking surprised to see the pink-haired girl.

"Good Morning, Athrun!" greeted Mia. "My, you look handsome as usual!" She giggled.

Cagalli raised an eyebrow as she clenched her fist. She felt irritated seeing Mia clinging to Athrun like he was hers.

"Campbell, let go of Athrun!" Cagalli demanded, pointing a finger at Mia.

Mia stuck out her tongue and mumbled, "Make me, Hibiki!"

"Don't try me, Campbell!"

"What are you going to do? Fight me?"

Before Cagalli could say another word, Athrun gently pushed Mia away from her. "Will you please stop flirting around?" Athrun sounded annoyed.

"But Athrun... I just want to..."

"I'm sick and tired of you always stalking me around," muttered Athrun in a cold voice.

"Athrun, I love you and I want to make you mine!"

"I can never love you," retorted Athrun, "so why don't you just give up on me."

At that moment, tears welled up in Mia's eyes. She shook her head as she backed away from him. When she looked at Athrun's eyes, she noticed something frank within them. At that, she realized that he was telling her the utmost truth. Though she didn't want to believe it, his eyes were telling her everything.

"_I can never love you, so why don't you just give up one me." _

She clenched her fists hard. The tears kept escaping her eyes. She looked at Athrun again, with a kind and painful expression.

"Athrun, why is it? Why can't you see my feelings for you? Why can't you love me?"

Her hands trembled. Turning back at Cagalli, she narrowed her eyes in anger. "You're the reason!" Mia scowled at Cagalli. "You're the reason why Athrun can never love me!"

"What the hell are you talking about, Campbell?" Cagalli asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "Why are you blaming me?"

"I'm not going to forgive you, Hibiki. I swear that I'll swipe Athrun away from you!" After saying that, she ran off in a flash, leaving a trail of tears behind.

Athrun and Cagalli sighed in relief.

"I'm glad she's gone now," muttered Athrun.

"Hmph! Just because we're close friends doesn't mean she could blame me for everything! GEEZ! I would like to give that girl a piece of my mind." She sat down on her desk, crossing her arms, while she stared at Athrun.

"She's always causing trouble," added Athrun. Actually, Athrun wanted to admit that Mia has the right to be jealous of Cagalli. Still, he felt kinda sorry for the pink-haired girl who had a crushed on him for a long time. But nothing can compare what he felt for Cagalli and nothing could ever replace her in his heart.

_School Yard_

Auel and Meyrin were the ones assigned to do the morning cleaning of the back yard of the school. While cleaning, Auel kept gazing at the pigtailed girl, Meyrin, who was busy picking up dry leaves from the ground. When she noticed him looking at her, she waved a hand and smiled at him. Immediately, he blushed and turned around.

_I hope Meyrin didn't see me blushing. It would really be embarrassing. _He thought silently. He sighed and continued cleaning.

Once done, the two of them decided to take a rest under a tree. Meyrin leaned her back against the tree as she looked up at the sky.

"It's such a nice morning," told Meyrin, looking cheerfully. "Hey, Auel..." She turned to Auel.

"What is it?"

"I hope you don't mind me asking this," said Meyrin with a little hesitation. "I was wondering... if you have a girl you like." Her cheeks gave off a little hint of redness.

"A girl I like!" Auel stammered, feeling surprised and nervous. _The girl I like is you, Meyrin! I want to tell you that I love you but I feel so hesitant. Sheesh! I don't know why I'm like this! _His cheeks turned red again.

"So, do you have a girl you like?"

"Actually, I do..." Auel answered softly.

After that, her facial expression changed into a sad one. It was like something bad struck her fiercely.

Noticing her expression, Auel placed a hand on her shoulder, forcing her to look at him. "Auel..."

"What's the matter?" Auel asked with concern.

"Um... Nothing... It's really nothing." Meyrin replied in a serene voice.

_After School _

After studying her lessons, Cagalli decided to take a walk by the river bank. It was already dark, and she could feel the cold freeze pricking her exposed skin. She sat down on a nice spot by the river. She gazed at the flowing water, feeling relaxed, as she cuddled her legs.

"It's so quiet..." she mumbled.

Athrun happened to pass by and saw her. Knowing that it was the perfect opportunity to spend some time with her, he approached her.

"Hey, Cagalli!" greeted Athrun, sitting down next to her, as he focused his eyes on the blonde.

Cagalli, with a smile on her face, turned to Athrun and said, "Hi, Athrun! I didn't expect to see you here. Were you just passing by?"

Athrun nodded his head.

"I see..." She turned to gaze at the starry sky this time. "There are so many stars tonight. I wish-" Before she could continue, she saw a falling star. "Did you see the falling star, Athrun?" She pointed at the sky, while looking at Athrun.

"Yes, I did. We should make a wish, Cagalli."

"Okay! I wish for..."

"And I wish for..."

Both of them muttered their wishes silently. After that, they looked at each other with keenly expressions.

"What did you wish for?" Athrun asked Cagalli.

"It's a secret!" Cagalli replied, winking an eye, as she giggled.

Athrun sighed. "Then I should keep mine a secret as well."

"Sounds fair enough for me," said Cagalli. She stretched out her arms and yawned. She was starting to feel sleepy.

"You're tired, Cagalli. You should go home and rest." Athrun suggested.

"No, I'm still okay. I want to stay here a little longer with you." Cagalli looked at him, with sincerity in her eyes.

Athrun's cheeks turned red as his heart skipped a beat. He slouched a bit and smiled secretly. He also wanted to stay a little bit longer with her. If it was possible, he wanted to stay by her side forever.

Cagalli yawned again. "I'm so sleepy... I wanna..." Slowly, she leaned against Athrun's shoulder and fell asleep.

"Cagalli..." He looked at the blonde who was now sleeping soundly. He placed an arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "Cagalli, what I wished for was..." he whispered softly. "I wished to be with you forever." He brushed away some strands of her hair from her face. Enjoying the moment, he caressed her cheeks while he leaned his head against hers.

Kira was returning home from his date with Lacus. He looked pretty happy, meaning he had a great time with the pink-haired princess. It was his first date and it turned out be a good one. He wished that he could date her again someday. Well, he was already planning something for the weekend.

"Next time, I'll bring her to the movies," muttered Kira.

As he walked by the river, he saw two familiar figures from afar. He approached for a closer look, and was surprised to see that the figures were Athrun and Cagalli.

_What are they doing here? _Kira thought, kneeling down in front of them. He noticed that both of them were asleep. He kinda giggled a little because they looked cute together. _I better wake them up. _He placed a hand on Athrun's shoulder and shook him. "Athrun... Athrun..." said Kira.

"Ah... Huh?" mumbled Athrun, slowly opening his eyes. When he saw Kira, he almost gasped but Kira immediately clamped his mouth.

"Sshhh!" shushed Kira, placing a finger in front of his nose. "You'll wake up Cagalli."

"Uh... Sorry about that," replied Athrun. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you the same thing. What are you doing here with my sister at this hour?" said Kira, looking seriously at Athrun.

"Well, you see... We just..." Athrun stuttered, not knowing what to say.

"Hmm... Athrun, you're one sly guy," said Kira, revealing a mischievous smile.

"No, it's not what you think!"

"Cagalli loves coming here. You must've waited for her here so you can have a moment with her."

"It was just a coincidence."

"I won't believe you."

"But it was!"

Kira shushed Athrun again. He told him to lower his voice because Cagalli was sleeping. He knew that Cagalli gets cranky when she's disturbed.

Carefully, Athrun carried her bridal-style. He looked at the sleeping blonde momentarily before he shifted his eyes at Kira. "So, are you going to take her home now?" asked Athrun.

"Why don't you take her home, Athrun?"

"What are you saying? She's your sister."

"I'll be going ahead," told Kira. He spun on his heels and ran off.

"Kira, wait!"

Athrun tried to catch up with him, but Kira was a fast runner and he was gone in a flash. "What was he thinking? It would be much easier if he brought Cagalli home," growled Athrun. "Well, there's no use complaining about it. Besides, I'm kinda glad I can hold her like this." He looked at Cagalli and smiled.

_I will never forget this night... _

_To be continued..._

* * *

Akatsuki-hime: Chapter 17 is finally done. Mia is pretty desperate, but she doesn't stand a change against Cagalli. Auel and Meyrin are getting hot. Auel is in love with her, but how about Meyrin? The Athrun-Cagalli moment here was sweet! What do you think? Please send me reviews and don't send me flames. 


	18. Phase 18: Hopeless Romatics

Akatsuki-hime: I received so many reviews as usual. I'm very happy about that. Thank you very much, reviewers!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed Destiny.

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 18: Hopeless Romantics

_Lunch Hour_

Shinn was standing by the window, while he stared at the sky. His thoughts as well as his heart were filled with confusion. He kept thinking about what Lunamaria said to him. She said that she loved him wholeheartedly. He didn't want to believe that, but Cagalli told him that she was telling the truth. He wanted to tell Stellar about this, but he decided to stay quiet. He didn't want to trouble or hurt her.

"I hate thinking like this," mumbled Shinn, clenching his fists hard.

A hand reached for his shoulder. He turned around to face the person who was Stellar.

Stellar looked kinda worried. She asked him, "Are you all right?" She touched his forehead to see if he had a fever. "You don't feel hot at all," she said.

He held Stellar's hand and placed it on his cheek. He looked at the blonde with a tender smile. "I'm all right, Stellar," he told her.

"Are you sure? You seemed a little daze since this morning. It was as if you were thinking about something."

"I was just daydreaming about the arcade," he lied.

"Is that all you can think about?"

"Let me remind you that I'm still addicted to games," answered Shinn.

Stellar giggled. "Yes, I know that."

"Shinn!" uttered Lunamaria, popping out of nowhere, as she clung to Shinn. "Why don't we have lunch together?" she asked.

Shinn was shocked at first, but then he became angry. "Let me go, Hawke!" he retorted.

"I won't take no for an answer!"

Stellar grew a little jealous. She tried pulling Lunamaria away from Shinn, but she held on to him so tightly.

"Get away from me, Loussier-san!" Lunamaria pushed Stellar away, causing the blonde girl to fall. Because of that, Shinn became really angry. He pinned Lunamaria against the wall and glared furiously at her. He pushed her aside and went to help Stellar.

"Are you okay, Stellar?" Shinn asked, offering Stellar a hand.

Stellar took his hand. "I'm okay," answered Stellar, as she was pulled up.

"No, get away from him!" shrieked Lunamaria. She was about to tackle Stellar when Shinn blocked her.

"I'm not going to let you hurt Stellar!"

"But Stellar is a hindrance and I-," she couldn't continue because she was slapped by Shinn. She froze in silence for awhile. She touched her cheek and felt the pain. Slowly, she faced Shinn with teary eyes. "It's always like this. You always hurt me, Shinn," she said in a trembling voice.

"Hawke, you were overreacting way too much," spouted Shinn. "You just got what you deserved."

"I deserved this!" she scowled, tears flowing out of her eyes, as she clenched her fists. "I don't think so!"

"Hawke-san..." Stellar muttered, feeling remorseful for Luna. She understood her love for Shinn. She knew that she was willing to give anything to win Shinn's heart. She wanted to comfort her and to make her realize that Shinn will never learn to love her. But she was also in doubt. As she had observed, Luna was a stubborn person. So, she bet that Luna wouldn't listen to her.

"Hawke, I have no business with you. You better scram before I really lose my temper!" exclaimed Shinn, as he pointed at the door.

Luna took a few steps backward. She looked at Stellar and said, "Loussier-san, this isn't over yet!" With that, she quickly ran out of the room.

Stellar sighed. "She's not going to give up on you, Shinn," muttered Stellar, looking worriedly, as she clasped her hands together.

"Don't worry..." He placed a hand on Stellar's head. "You're the only girl for me. I will never love that girl," added Shinn.

"I know..."

_Room 3-A_

Miriallia was presently talking to the Homeroom Teacher about an important matter regarding the class funds. She relevantly stated that the class funds were enough to contribute to the School's Cherry Blossom Festival that will be held next week. She also explained what kind of presentation their class was going to show, which was a play.

"The class has been practicing for the play since last week. I'm sure they'll be ready before the festival," Miriallia said knowingly. She looked up at the teacher and gave him an unquestionable expression. "As for the funds, it's all taken care of."

"I'll be expecting your great performance," replied the teacher. He spun on his heels and walked off.

Miriallia went back inside the room and saw Dearka sitting on the teacher's desk. Knowing that it was wrong for him to sit there, she quickly pulled Dearka to her and said, "You're not supposed to be sitting there, Dearka!" She set him in a corner and stared at him sharply.

Dearka gave out a small laugh as he scratched the back of head. Feeling a little embarrassed, he apologized to her.

"You have to remember that Miss Simmons is strict about classroom policies. If she catches you then you're dead," she said sarcastically.

"I just forgot... Sorry about that..."

"By the way Dearka, are you free after school?" Her face expression changed into a solemn one. "So?"

Dearka's cheeks flushed red. He lowered his head, feeling a little awkward at that moment. He also wondered why Miriallia was asking him that question. _Maybe she wants to hang out with me. Wait, it's more like a date! She's probably asking me on a date. Wow!_ Without any hesitation, he said, "I'm free! Why do you ask?" He said that even though he was certain of her reply.

"You want to come over at my house. You see, I baked a cake and I want you to try some," Miriallia said, fiddling with her fingers.

"You baked a cake and you want me try it!" Dearka's mouth watered as he thought about the delicious cake. He recalled the chocolates Miriallia gave him and they were really delicious. _If the chocolates were good, I'm sure that the cake is even better. _He looked at Miriallia and knitted a big smile on his face. "Sure, I would love to!"

_Locker Room _

Fllay has just finished changing into her cheerleading uniform. Grabbing her pom-pom, she headed towards the exit where she encountered Lacus.

"Oh, it's you Clyne," Fllay said in a surprised tone.

"Good afternoon, Fllay," greeted Lacus. "I'm really grateful for what you did."

"Do you mean your date with Kira?"

"That's right. The date went well as you've planned, Fllay. I'm so happy," muttered Lacus, clasping her hands, as she remembered her date with Kira. At that, her cheeks turned red as she felt her heart skipped a beat. "Kira is fun to be with. If given the chance, I want to spend more time with him." She let out a sigh.

"Don't worry, I'll still help you." Fllay assured Lacus. She was determined to bring Kira and Lacus together no matter what. _This matchmaker stuff is fun. I wonder what I should do next. _She crossed her arms and thought silently, while Lacus observed her behavior.

"Fllay, are you all right?"

"I know!" Fllay raised her hand so suddenly that it shocked Lacus a bit. She glanced at the pink-haired princess with a mischievous smile, making Lacus nervous. "What are you planning, Fllay?" she asked, though she was afraid to know.

"This coming Cherry Blossom Festival, you and Kira will... Ahem..."

"I don't seem to get it."

"Just leave it to me. You'll see once it's already festival time."

"I'll be counting on you, Fllay."

_School Gate_

As Cagalli approached the gate, a black limo pulled over in front of her. The window slid opened, revealing the face of the passenger, Yuuna Seiran. At that moment, Cagalli had the urge to hurry back home. But her plan of escaped backfired because she got surrounded by Yuuna's bodyguards.

"Okay, what do you want now?" She said while her head was slightly turned, eyes focused on the purple-haired guy. She clenched her fists hard, trying to control the anger she had.

"Cagalli, you're still stubborn. Why can't you accept my love for you?" Yuuna told her off. He reached for Cagalli's shoulder, but Cagalli just brushed away his hands before he could touch her. "Cagalli, that hurts!"

"Don't you dare touch me, Seiran!" exclaimed Cagalli, looking irritated. Who wouldn't be irritated of Yuuna? He's as dumb as a jackass. "Seiran, I don't have time for you!" She was about to walk away when Yuuna suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. In attempting to hug her, Cagalli managed to punch his face. "That'll teach you not to mess with me!" Cagalli pushed herself away from him, still on her guard for any kinds of tricks.

"Cagalli let us go on a date. All lovers are doing it." He was still persistent.

"Fortunately, we're not lovers! You can just keep dreaming, Seiran. Now, please excuse me!" She walked pass the guards in a hurry, hoping Yuuna wouldn't follow her. _I can't believe the nerve of that guy! Sheesh! I want to pull his brains out! _

Feeling despair, Yuuna hopped on the limo and leaned his back against the comfy chair. In his mind, he wished for Cagalli's love. _She doesn't love me at all. Why can't I accept it? _He glanced at the sky, with gloomy eyes and an anxious look. "No matter what, I must make Cagalli mine. I won't lose to that Athrun or that brat, Shinn!"

_To be continued..._

_

* * *

_

Akatsuki-hime: Yuuna is planning something against Shinn and Athrun. Fllay and Lacus are getting along pretty well. Luna is so out of character here. Well, that's all for now. Please review and no flames.


	19. Phase 19: Prideful One

Akatsuki-hime: I would like to thank JC-Zala for giving me some ideas for this chapter. And thanks you so much reviewers for supporting my story until now. Okay, please read on. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed Destiny.

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 19: Prideful One

After ditching Yuuna, Cagalli made her way to the park. She sat down on a patch of grass and stared quietly at the sky. Sighing, she murmured, "I want Yuuna out of my life. How can I get rid of him?" She scratched her head in frustration. She'd never had problems dealing with Yuuna before. _He's nothing but a wimp! _Feeling irritated, she sworn to make Yuuna understand her feelings.

But something crossed her mind, making her rethink about her decisions. Talking to Yuuna would be a nice thing to do and an unlikely thing for her. She'd never talked to Yuuna properly. Not even once in her lifetime. Who could blame her? Yuuna was a real pest.

_I hope I'm going to do the right thing. _

She was about to stand up when her cellphone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and answered it. "Who is this?" she asked.

"Cagalli, it's me."

Immediately recognizing the voice, she smiled and murmured, "Athrun, why did you call? Do you need something?"

"Can we meet?"

"You mean now?"

"Yes."

"Just tell me the place."

"Meet me by the river."

"Okay, I'll see you there."

Hanging up the call, she stood and patted her skirt. She carried her bag and placed her cellphone back into her pocket. Excited to see Athrun, she walked out of the park in a hurry.

_Hibiki House _

Walking back from school, Kira and Fllay were talking about their childhood days. Filled with smiles and laughter, both of them looked like a couple from afar. And the people passing by seemed to think so too. Kira couldn't help but blush when the people complimented them. On the other hand, Fllay doesn't seemed to mind at all.

"Do we really make a good couple, Fllay?" Kira asked all of the sudden.

"What are you saying, Kira?" replied Fllay, raising one eyebrow at him. "Have you forgotten about Lacus?" She reminded him of the pink-haired princess he admired so much.

Kira brushed his fingers through his unruly brown hair and narrowed his gaze. His purple eyes were showing a bit of confusion. Fllay was appalled for a tiny moment...

Until he said, "Lacus really means a lot to me."

"That's because you love her!" added Fllay, bursting with cheerfulness.

"Yeah, I love her." Sounding a bit frustrated, he clenched his fists hard. "And I wish I could tell her that."

"Kira, be more confident! I'm sure you can do it!"

"What if she doesn't love me?" Afraid of the consequences, Kira admitted that confessing wasn't an easy thing to do. Love can be sweet and painful. Truth to be known, love can do a lot of things.

"Kira, what if she does?" she said as she patted his shoulder. "Don't be afraid. You must face your challenges, Kira!" She showed him a smile beaming with radiance.

"Thank you, Fllay," he replied, smiling. "You're always helping me."

"That's what friends are for!" Fllay said knowingly.

As the continued walking, Kira examined Fllay from head to toe. He knitted a smile on his face as he thought of the good old days he spent with her during junior high school. He was never really a strong-willed person. He doesn't have much confidence in himself. He was rather dependent on his sister as well. But Fllay was different than him. Fllay was special. She was a girl he could trust. She was always there to help him no matter what. She had always been a great friend to him.

Fllay noticed him staring at her. Curious, she asked him, "Is something the matter?"

Her question snapped him back to reality. He quickly turned away and said, "It's nothing..." His cheeks were burning in red color. Was this embarrassment of something else?

Fllay let out a small giggle. "Kira, were you thinking of Lacus again?" She looked at him slyly. Her gaze was sending chills to his spine.

Hesitantly, Kira nodded his head. He felt bad about lying to Fllay, but he didn't want her to find out that he was really thinking of her.

_Riverbank_

Waiting by the river, Athrun entertained himself by throwing rocks. It wasn't exactly what you call fun. It was just a mere thing to keep himself busy while waiting for Cagalli. He took a quick glance around the place to see if anyone was coming. So far, he was the only soul there. Sighing, he turned his attention back at the river.

"I hope I can do this right," he murmured. He finally decided to tell Cagalli his feelings for her. He was even ready for any consequences that may fall on him, consequences like rejection of love.

_Even if it hurts me..._

That's right. He knew what love can do to a person. Love can sometimes bring you happiness and sadness. It can be sweet and also painful. He has experienced this since the day he fell in love with Cagalli. His feelings for her had never changed. Cagalli was the strength of his love.

"Cagalli," he whispered softly, "I love you..."

A gentle breeze came and went, carrying with it the scent of the fresh grass. He looked up and saw birds soaring through the skies. Smiling, he lied down and let his mind flow with the wind.

"There you are!" a voice shattered the moment he was enjoying. Recognizing the voice, he quickly stood and saw a purple-haired guy holding a long pipe. The guy was none other than Yuuna, the self-proclaimed prince of Destiny High School.

Narrowing his gaze, Athrun uttered, "What do you want, Seiran!"

"You're the reason why Cagalli-chan can't love me!" answered Yuuna, clutching onto the pipe hard. He gritted his teeth as he looked angrily at Zala. "It's better if you disappear!"

"You're really an idiot," Athrun replied calmly. "It's not my fault why Cagalli hates you so much."

Obviously not listening to Athrun, Yuuna yapped, "You're the idiot, Zala! You're the cause! I'm not going to forgive you!" Charging towards Athrun, he swung the pipe around. He tried to hit his rival with the pipe, but Athrun was able to avoid it easily. Picking up his momentum, he made another attempt. This time, Athrun grabbed his wrist and twisted it around, making him drop the pipe.

"Give it up, Seiran!" Athrun told the freak.

But Yuuna was a stubborn mule. He wouldn't give up. He'd insisted Athrun to let go of him.

Growing irritated, Athrun landed one strong punch on his so-called pretty face. Yuuna fell back first to the ground. Once again, he didn't stand a chance against his rival. No matter how hard he will try, Athrun will always emerge victorious because of his cunning mind and athletic abilities- the things Yuuna forgot about...

Holding the sore part of his face, Yuuna stood and murmured some curses about Athrun. He looked at Athrun and knitted a smile on his face. He told him that he was still going to court Cagalli. As usual, he was beaming with useless confidence despite the pain he felt.

_Yuuna Seiran never changes. He's still stupid as ever. _

"Just remember this," Yuuna said, crossing his arms. "Cagalli will be mine!" He laughed out maniacally, alerting the young Zala.

"Cagalli can never be yours!" retorted Athrun.

"I'll stake my life and my pride on it."

"You're so obnoxious, Yuuna Seiran!" A figure suddenly appeared behind Yuuna.

The figure happened to be a blonde haired girl fuming with rage. Athrun was even shocked to see her burning like fire. Her fists were clenched and her golden-brown eyes were fixed on the purple-haired freak.

Overjoyed to hear her voice, Yuuna spun on his heels to face the girl of his dreams. "Cagalli-chan, I'm so glad to see you here!" He opened his arms and walked towards her. "Give your boyfriend a great big hug!" He was sounding perky as usual.

Instead of backing away from him like any normal girl would do, Cagalli punched him on the face and shouted, "Since when did you become my boyfriend, you sick bastard!"

Once again, Yuuna fell to the ground. One punch was good but another one? That was too much for him. Oh, the poor thing. He got his ass kicked by his rival and his princess. A total misfortune for him.

"You overdid it this time, Cagalli." Athrun touched her hand and placed a light kiss on it, making Cagalli blush like crazy. Her face was as red as a tomato and her heart was racing like there's no tomorrow. Tensed and embarrassed, Cagalli swiped her hand away from Athrun and turned around. From what he did, she didn't dare to face Athrun.

"What was that all about, Athrun?" she stammered, clasping her hands together.

Athrun let out a small laugh. "You punched Seiran with that hand. Your hand must be sore now." He placed a hand on Cagalli's shoulder and forced her to face him. "Cagalli, I have something to tell you..." His emerald green eyes were sparkling with hope and sincerity. She was fascinated.

"Cagalli, you know..."

"What is it, Athrun? What do you want to tell me?"

Athrun smiled. "It would better to tell you this if Seiran wasn't here." Speaking of Seiran, he was nowhere to be seen. From the looks of it, Yuuna escaped when they weren't looking. At least he was good at one thing... and that would be running away.

"Good riddance to him," muttered Cagalli before returning her gaze at Athrun.

"I wish he would stop stalking you from now on."

"I doubt that. He's one inflexible guy."

"You're pretty stubborn too."

"Hey, don't compare me to him!"

"I'm sorry."

"Seiran is a wimp. He could never be a guy like you, Athrun."

"And he could never get a girl like you, Cagalli."

"That's right." Then she remembered that Athrun was going to say something to her. "Since he's gone, you can tell me n-." Before she could finish, Athrun suddenly pulled her into a hug.

_To be continued... _

* * *

Akatsuki-hime: Athrun finally made a move on Cagalli! Yippee! I just love beating the crap out of Yuuna. Hehe! Okay, I know I'm being evil here. I don't care! Ha-ha! Please don't mind my insanity. Fllay and Kira are really good friends. Kira is so lucky to have Fllay helping him. Want some Kira and Lacus moments? Then wait for the next chapter. Please review and no flames. 


	20. Phase 20: View of One's Self

Akatsuki-hime: Yippee! Here's another update! It's already the 20th chapter. I can't believe it. I was able to write so many. I'm glad! (Excuse me for my rudeness... I'm just happy that class is over for now.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed Destiny.

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 20: View of One's Self

Not another word from her, Cagalli was pulled into a hug by Athrun. He wrapped his arms securely around, nestling the warmth inside of him. Though he felt nervous, he still managed to whisper sweet words into Cagalli's ear. His words were profound, engaging and true. He was being true to himself after so many years. Finally, he was able to gather the courage to confess his love for the girl he truly loves.

"I love you, Cagalli..."

"What?!" were the words she could only utter at that moment. She was too surprised and too stiff to even move a muscle. She was rather motionless. Never has she seen Athrun acting this way. In addition to that, she was hugging her so lovingly. It was her first time to be held like that.

She felt something deep stirring in her heart. Was it love? She wasn't sure. She let her thoughts drift with the wind as she stared up in the sky. A sudden image crossed her mind that brought her back to reality. Gently, she pulled herself away from her childhood friend and faced his emerald green eyes.

"Cagalli, I..." Athrun wanted to tell her again, but Cagalli stopped him by placing her finger on his lips. From that action, Athrun could sense something sore emitting from his heart. Was it fear? He admitted to himself that he was afraid. But he had told himself to be strong enough to bear any consequences.

Cagalli let out a small sigh. It wasn't a depressed sigh- more like a confused one. She was confused because of her emotions. The image she thought of earlier was of Shinn, her best friend. Until now, her feelings for him were still there and it remained unchangeable. She was so sure that she convinced herself to let go of Shinn. She couldn't... She still loves him... more than a friend... And it hurt her.

"Athrun," she started, feeling uneasy. Her emotions were dwelling rapidly inside of her. She felt the pain of her heart slowly grasping her. She was afraid to tell Athrun the truth, her real feelings. She didn't want to hurt her friend but she had to do it. It was for Athrun's sake as well. "Athrun, I'm..."

"I'm really sorry for being so sudden," Athrun cut her off. "But I just want to let you know my feelings for you, Cagalli." He lowered his voice as he looked down.

She clasped her hands together and looked down as well. She was hesitating to tell him. And why was that?

_Is it because his my best friend? I thought I was over him! _

Her mind was having a fierce battle with her heart. As the mind continued to tell her to stop thinking about Shinn, the heart was struggling to maintain the love she held for him.

She scratched her head in frustration. The confusion she was experiencing was messing up her up. She wanted this to end!

"Cagalli..." His voice broke into her thoughts. "Are you all right? I'm sorry for surprising you like that..."

"Athrun, I need some time to think about this... Please understand me..." Her voice was cracking. It sounded like she wanted to cry. Athrun felt worried for her. He wanted to sooth her but before he could do anything, she quickly ran off.

"Cagalli!" uttered Athrun. He watched her run until she disappeared from sight. He sighed and murmured, "I should've thought about this more thoroughly... She must be really confused."

He grimaced as he placed his hand on his temple.

If he knew it would trouble Cagalli he wouldn't have bothered to tell her in the first place. Yet, he was acting upon his emotions when he expressed his feelings. He was just following his heart.

And there was nothing wrong with that.

All he could do for the time being was to wait for her reply, whether it was good or bad.

_Next day (Destiny High School) _

Lacus wondered what Fllay thought she could do with the matchmaking game. So far she had been doing a pretty good job setting up dates. She was extremely grateful to Fllay for all she had done for her.

But there were times she felt like a burden to Fllay. Lacus never thought of repaying her for her kindness. She had to do something to return the favor but what? She couldn't come up with any nice ideas.

Though asking her sister, Mia, wouldn't be a very bright one. Mia was always jealous of Fllay's talents and popularity.

_It would be nice for them to get along. _A nice thought, however it will never work out. Bringing those two together will mean trouble for her. Mia would definitely reprimand her and Fllay would probably, as she feared, get mad at her.

However, before Fllay came into Mia's life, the only rival she faced was Cagalli Yula Hibiki.

Lacus had to admit Cagalli was an extreme person. She had always adored her since the day she saw her. She could never be someone like that. She was too kind and gentle.

Well, she only became popular, she thought, because of her voice. Her beauty and kindness? Perhaps. She was a pop star idol, a singing sensation, and the girl with the voice of an angel.

While Cagalli became popular because of her athletic ability, her cunningness, and smarts. Not only was she attractive, she was also confident with her actions. She was a girl who was not afraid to speak her mind.

Mia had seen all the unique qualities in Cagalli. She was furious ever since she challenged the blonde to a tennis match. Mia lost bitterly because she wasn't capable of keeping up with Cagalli's speed and agility. Clearly, the blonde was more superior to her in the said sport.

But Mia didn't want to admit defeat.

Mia even grew more determined when she fell in love with Cagalli's childhood friend, Athrun Zala. The dashing young Zala was the prince charming of every girl's dreams. But Athrun wasn't interested in girls, especially Mia.

She strolled across the corridor and climbed up the stairs until she reached the 3rd floor. She headed towards her classroom without any fuss and sat down on her assigned place. Resting her arms on her desk, she turned to the window and allowed her mind to think again.

Honestly, Lacus never thought of Mia as an annoyance. Even though Mia was quite mean to other people, she was awfully nice to her and only her. If only Mia was like that to Cagalli and Fllay.

What was she thinking? Mia was too prideful!

Reminded of Mia's pride, Lacus found an interesting thought. She had never seen Mia give up. She was always beaming with confidence and assurance- things that differentiate her from her twin.

_Mia was always determined in getting what she wants. Sometimes her determination gets her into trouble. But I salute her... Unlike her, I'm helpless. I even depend on Fllay's assistance to grab Kira's attention. I can never be someone like my sister. _

Lacus was underestimating herself way too seriously. Thinking about Mia, Cagalli, and Fllay made her feel more inferior. Who could blame her for feeling that way?

_I can never be as spunky and strong as Cagalli... I can never be as outgoing and aggressive like Fllay... And I can never be as determined as Mia... I'm useless. _

Negative thoughts and feelings winded in her like a storm. She knew nothing good can ever come if she would remain the same.

_Rooftop _

The usual hangout for guys who want to skip class would be the rooftop.

With the wind blowing through his hair, Shinn stared up at the clouds in the big blue sky. Reflected in his furious red eyes was bewilderment. Nothing could explain how he felt at his moment. Sometimes he wished he was the wind, free to roam around the world without a care.

But he wasn't a wind.

He was just a mere human who had feelings.

The words of Lunamaria Hawke plagued him. He couldn't get them out of his system. The part where she threatened his girlfriend angered him and scared him a bit. Why? Because he was worried for Stellar's welfare. He knew Lunamaria was serious when she said it wasn't over between her and Stellar.

_But Hawke just flirts with me when I talk to her... _

Cagalli had told him to take matters carefully by having a conversation. Since he was dealing with a girl he had to talk to her sincerely. Sometimes he wished Luna was a boy so he could beat her to a pulp.

Shinn grimaced at the thought. Thinking like that was just wrong. Luna was a girl and he needed to respect her as one.

He still couldn't forget how she treated Stellar. She obviously wanted to get rid of Stellar.

Stellar didn't want to go against Lunamaria. She was a nice and friendly girl- not the type to quarrel with another girl. Due to uncertainties, she was forced to worry about Shinn's situation.

_Maybe it's my fault as well... _He was blaming himself for all the trouble.

He never did give any respects to Lunamaria before. He was just a bully who liked picking on teacher's pets- even if it gave him bad impressions. He didn't care about the feelings of the ones he bullied.

He also wondered why Lunamaria liked him if he was always picking on her.

After thinking deeply, he found an answer. Luna was kinda like Stellar. Both of them saw through his outer covering and saw his nicer and true self.

Narrowing his gaze, he raised his hand and reached for the clouds in the sky. As he imagined Stellar as one of the clouds, he simply knitted a smile on his face.

"I know how I can resolve this!"

_Class 3-A_

Pulse racing, Cagalli entered the classroom with silence. She didn't dare to glance around to meet her classmates' eyes. She wasn't in the mood for early morning greetings either. All she wanted to do was to reach her desk, sit down, and do nothing.

The bags in her eyes indicated that she didn't get much sleep last night. That's because she was too busy thinking about what Athrun had said to her.

Confession of love wasn't an easy task. But who would've thought Athrun had feelings for her since the beginning? Why didn't she realize his true feelings in the first place? Was she too naïve or too blind to know that?

"_I love you, Cagalli..." _Those words echoed in her head like a loud bell ringing aimlessly. Although they were sweet words, Cagalli had found it to be excruciating.

How, she thought, how would she explain to Athrun? Of course she knew Athrun needed an answer.

"I can't possibly face him properly after yesterday," she muttered in a low voice.

She was getting nervous and afraid of what might happen to their friendship. Everything wouldn't be the same between the two of them anymore. Athrun loves her more than a friend and treats her specially than others.

And it was very hard for her to accept his love... Or was she just denying it?

For a moment all uncertainty receded. For a moment she remembered how she felt when Athrun saved her from danger. She knew something rose from her heart. It was deep and pure.

"Hey... Cagalli... Hey..." The voice obviously belonging to her twin, Kira, disturbed her.

In return for what he did, Cagalli glared at him and said, "What do you want?!" She could've said it in a softer tone but she wasn't in the mood to do so.

"Cagalli, you don't have to shout," Kira told the blonde.

"I'm sorry for the sudden outburst." Acting like a stubborn child, Cagalli crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Ignoring her actions, Kira asked her why she was spacing out a while ago. It was a bit unusual for him to see his vigorous sister looking so bothered.

Judging from the look of his eyes, Cagalli could see how worried he was. A kind and caring brother as usual, Kira had always been precious to Cagalli. She felt lucky to have someone like him. And the part of making your brother worry was troublesome.

Placing a smile, she assured Kira that she was okay, though it was a lie.

She wasn't the type to keep secrets from her brother. She was just not ready to tell him yet about Athrun. She had to rethink about the matter first.

_Near the Entrance of the Cafeteria _

Kira was on his way to get buy food for Cagalli when he saw a familiar pink-haired princess lounging around the entrance.

As he approached her, he greeted her with a warm smile.

And of course, Lacus returned the greeting with a smile as well. "Hibiki-kun, why don't we have lunch together?" She then suggested.

It was an offer he couldn't refuse. Well... almost... He still had to bring something for his sister. He looked up at her and unwillingly refused her offer.

Lacus felt a little sad but she still showed a smile.

"We could eat lunch together some other time. Right now isn't the best time." Kira knew she understood his reasons. Disappointed or not, he had to hurry or Cagalli would scold him for being late.

Before leaving the pink-haired princess, he patted her on the shoulder and walked off. He was about to enter the cafeteria when all of the sudden...

"Hibiki-kun!" uttered Lacus, as she caught up to hug him.

Not a word, not a sound, Kira's eyes widened in surprise.

With a trembling voice, Lacus said, "Let's stay like this for awhile..." She tightened her grip around him, pulling his back closer to her chest. At this moment, she felt peace with herself. Not only that, she also felt happiness.

For Lacus it was an achievement to have done something like that. At first, she was uncertain whether to do it or not but eventually she gathered enough courage. For once, she tried to be Mia.

And as for Kira... He couldn't be more happier! His heart was jumping for joy! He didn't care if his cheeks were red or his hands turned cold. He was too thrilled to even feel his heated emotions.

_To be continued..._

* * *

Akatsuki-hime: I'm done with chapter 20. Athrun's confession of love left Cagalli confused. On the other hand, Lacus is underestimating herself and Shinn had decided to talk things over with Luna. 


	21. Phase 21: What did you say?

Akatsuki-hime: I'm finally back with another chapter. I'm really sorry if it took so long. Many things came up and I only had little time to write. Please bear with me.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed.

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 21: What did you just say?

_Hallways_

"Auel already has someone he likes," Meyrin mumbled under her breathe, while standing idly by the window. She had been thinking about what Auel said and she felt so sad about it. "I'm sure the girl he likes is way cooler and prettier than me. I'm just a simple girl who studies like a nerd." She sighed deeply as she clenched her fists tightly.

"What are you doing here all by yourself?" a familiar voice broke into Meyrin's thoughts. Quickly, she turned to face the person who was none other than Fllay, her cousin.

"Oh… Hi, Fllay…" she greeted limply.

Curious about her tone of voice, Fllay asked, "What's the matter, Meyrin? Are you all right?"

Meyrin immediately pasted a fake smile on her face. "NO!" she exclaimed, shaking her head. "I'm totally fine. Why do you ask?"

But her act didn't fool Fllay for a minute. "Okay, what's going on?" asked Fllay, raising an eyebrow. "I know you're troubled about something."

Meyrin shook her head again, still denying the fact. "I'm fine, Fllay!"

"I don't believe you," Fllay retorted, pointing a finger at her cousin. "You better tell me what's wrong or I'll blackmail you!" She smirked.

Meyrin's eyes grew wide in a split second. She knew Fllay was totally serious about what she just said. "You're scary, Fllay." She clasped her hands together and tried to look innocent. "Do you really have to know?"

Fllay looked at her sternly as she tapped her foot on the floor. "I'm waiting, Meyrin…"

"Well… The truth is… Um…"

"Spit it out!" Fllay was getting impatient.

"I'm in love with this guy but I think this guy is in love with someone else!" Meyrin spoke so fast that her words almost ended up in mumbles. "There I said it! Are you happy now?" She glared at Fllay as she crossed her arms.

Although she expected to see a very shocked Fllay, she saw a smiling one instead. Meyrin had to ask, "What's with you?"

"I can't believe that my little cousin is in love!" Fllay said, giggling like a little girl. "I'm so proud."

"You don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?"

"That I'm totally heartbroken here! Let me remind you that the guy I'm in love with already has a girl in mind!"

"And who is this guy?"

"He's…Um…Well…" Meyrin stuttered as she played with her fingers. "Auel Neider…" Her cheeks burned in deep shades of red.

"You mean that blue-haired guy who is really hot with the girls?"

Meyrin nodded hesitantly.

"Unbelievable!" uttered Fllay, throwing her arms in the air. "You're in love with a great guy like him! That's so cool!" She held Meyrin's hands and smiled. "Want me to set you up on a date with him?" She sounded and looked so excited as if she was the one in love with Auel.

"What!"

"Mey, it would be fun!"

"Fllay, you don't understand." Meyrin pulled her hands away from Fllay and backed off. She faced the window and took a deep breath. "Auel is in love with someone else. I don't have a chance."

"Are you sure?"

"He told me himself."

"He told you?" Fllay started to wonder why Auel would tell something like that. As she thought about, she realized that Meyrin and Auel weren't close friends before. She was going to ask Meyrin about the matter until…

"Auel and I became good friends after he saved me from thugs."

From that point, Fllay understood everything. "So, you and Auel have been hanging out all this time?" She wanted to confirm something before she could jump to conclusions.

"Yes… We're always talking, laughing, and enjoying each other."

Fllay placed her hand on chin, looking knowledgeable, as she silently analyzes the situation. _Meyrin says Auel likes another girl. What if that girl is Meyrin? _She knitted a smile on her face. "Meyrin, why don't you ask Auel about the girl he likes? It wouldn't hurt to ask."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am!" Fllay sounded demanding.

Voice trembling, Meyrin replied, "Okay, if you say so…" She clasped her hands and closed her eyes. _I'm a little afraid, but I'll try to be brave. _She faced her cousin seriously but with a smile. "I'll try my best."

"I'm sure you can do it, Mey." Fllay had high hopes about her theory. Still, she wanted to make sure by investigating Auel herself. After all, she has a knack for matchmaking games.

_Backyard of the School_

After slipping a letter into Lunamaria's locker, Shinn immediately went to the backyard to wait for her. He wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do, but it was the only way he could make Luna understand. Also, he had hoped everything would be fine between them in the end.

"Shinn!" Luna called his name as soon as she saw him. She ran towards him while waving her right hand.

"I'm glad you came, Hawke," he said, looking sharply.

"I received your letter and it says you want to talk to me," Luna muttered, feeling pleased. She had never imagined Shinn giving her a letter. It was so good to be true. "So, have you decided to make me your girlfriend? Did you dump that good-for-nothing blonde?" She was making googly eyes at Shinn, which sent chills into his spine.

And for the insult, he wanted to slap Luna right on the face. _But I have to be nice to her. _He had to respect her as a girl so she would understand. He had no choice but to be patient. "Hawke, I didn't dump Stellar and she's a not good-for-nothing blonde."

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Then why did you call me?"

"I want…" He bit his lip before continuing, "I want to apologize for what I've done to you in the past." He looked away, his face burning in shame, as he clenched his fists.

Shocked, Luna didn't say a word. _Shinn Asuka is apologizing to me? What the hell is going on? It's not like him. _She stared at Shinn and wondered if it was really Shinn. She knew what kind of person Shinn was since the first time he met him. And now that same person was apologizing to her! It felt strange yet satisfying.

Shinn noticed her staring at him. "What's with that look?" he grumbled, narrowing his gaze.

"Nothing… It's just that your apology surprised me."

"I wasn't trying to surprise you."

"I know but still…" Luna took a few steps forward until she was just an inch closer to Shinn. "You know, I'm really happy to hear that. It's the nicest thing you ever said to me." She placed a hand on his shoulder, showing her extreme gratitude.

"Yeah… Yeah…" Shinn rolled his eyes away, pretending to be pissed off. "So, am I forgiven?"

"What if I say no?" Luna smirked.

"Then what can I do to make it up to you?" Shinn sounded a bit desperate this time. If he wants to get Luna out of his life, he had to do whatever it takes to fulfill that—even if it means doing whatever Luna asks.

But he didn't expect Luna to say, "I'll only forgive you if you dump Loussier-san for me."

"You must be crazy!" He glared at her intensely. "I love Stellar and I don't want to dump her for some foolish girl like you!"

"Then I'll never forgive you Shinn Asuka!" She rested her two hands on her waists as she grinned mischievously. "In additions to that, I'll make Loussier-san's life a living hell."

"Don't you even dare lay a finger on Stellar!" His temper was in full blast now. His plans of getting Luna to understand went down the drain. Acting nice to her wouldn't get him anywhere, so he had to resort to force.

He dug his nails into her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. He forced her to look into his furious eyes, which scared her half to death. Slowly, he tightened his grip on her shoulders to let her experience a little pain. He knew it was wrong, but she was really getting into his nerves.

"Let go of me, Shinn!" demanded Luna, struggling to break free.

"Promise me, Hawke," he shouted at the top of his lungs, "promise me you won't bother me and Stellar again!" He pushed her backwards, sending her butt to the ground.

"Ouch, that hurts!" Luna rubbed her butt to soothe the pain. She looked back at Shinn, with eyes that wanted to cry. "I can't believe you, Shinn. I love you and yet…"

"Hawke, please understand my feelings. The only girl I love is Stellar and that will never change!" He turned his back at her as he crossed his arms. "I'm really sorry for doing this to you, but you left me with no choice."

"Shinn..." Tears streaming down from her eyes, Luna hugged her legs and sighed. "I'm a total failure when it comes to… everything…" She buried her face in her hands and cried loudly.

"I know you can find somebody more deserving for you." With that, Shinn started walking away from her. Deep within his heart, he felt so ashamed of hurting Luna so many times. He had never reconsidered her feelings before and he regretted that.

_Near the Entrance of the Cafeteria_

She just did the most wonderful thing ever. It took her a lot of courage and strength to hug the one she loved. She had always dreamt of having such a moment with him. She felt like she was in heaven as she enjoyed the warmth nestling in.

"Clyne-san," he called her name, making her look at him. One look at her crystal blue eyes made Kira rather nervous. "Um… What is this all about?"

"Hibiki-kun, I…" She softly spoke with a smile. "I want to tell you that…" She was stuttering, because her heart was pounding so hard.

"What is it?" Kira had the curiosity in his eyes.

"I love you… I love you with all my heart," Lacus finally said it, closing her eyes, as she leaned her forehead against his chest.

"Clyne-san…"

"Please let me hear your reply…" She trembled a bit, fearing of his rejection. But she felt his arms snaking around her waist, securing her tightly and gently. Her cheeks flushed red as she pasted a faint smile. She raised her head only to see him smiling at her. "Hibiki-kun?" she muttered.

Caressing her cheeks, Kira said, "Is that really you? You're acting a bit aggressive today." He giggled.

"I'm sorry. You must be probably thinking that I'm acting like my sister." Lacus grimaced, turning her head away from him.

Kira nodded slightly. "Well, only a little." Using one hand, he titled her face until his eyes met hers. "But you're still the Lacus I love…" He whispered softly.

"Hibiki-kun…"

"Lacus, call me Kira from now on, okay?"

"All right, Kira…"

Hearts contented, the both of them hugged each other and spoke in words that lovers use.

_Cafeteria_

"Kira's taking a lot of time," grumbled Cagalli, looking around for Kira. "Where could that brother of mind be?"

"Can I sit here?" Cagalli turned to the person who just asked her. "Athrun?" She gazed at him, feeling a little shy.

"Can I?" Athrun asked her again, hoping she would say yes. He wanted to talk to Cagalli, to clear things up between them. He hated the fact that Cagalli was avoiding him because of what he said.

On the other hand, Cagalli had different thoughts. She felt ashamed for rejecting Athrun, because she still had feelings for her best friend. She also thought of telling Athrun about these feelings, but she knew that it would only hurt him.

Without a word, Cagalli rose from her chair and walked to the exit. But before she could go out, Athrun caught up and grabbed her left arm. "Hey, let me go!" she demanded.

"Cagalli, we need to talk." Athrun sounded concerned.

Cagalli became silent. She lowered her head, letting her bangs cover her eyes, as she focused her sights on the floor. She realized that avoiding Athrun wasn't a solution. And it wasn't really like her to run away from her problems. But she can't find the courage to talk to Athrun. She never felt so confused in her life.

_To be continued…_

_

* * *

_

Akatsuki-hime: End of chapter. I'm sorry for the late update again. Oh, I'll probably update after 14 days, because I'm going to be busy with my clubs in school. Please don't forget to review and no flaming.


	22. Phase 22: The Bitter and Sweet Heart

Akatsuki-hime: Oh I'm so sorry for update only now. I had a writer's block lately. I even had JC again to help me for this chapter. JC-Zala is a much better writer than me and her stories are really awesome. I also owe her a lot as a friend. Oh, here's the chapter 22! Please read and review.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed.

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 22: The Bitter and Sweet Heart

"I'll see you later, Lacus." Kira stroke her long beautiful pink her as he gazed softly at her.

"Let's go home together, okay?" Lacus smiled radiantly, showing how happy she was to be loved by the one she loved. Surely her thoughts about her sister gave her the confidence to do it. She admitted that Mia was much more confident than her, but she just proved that she can be confident as well.

"Okay. I'll wait for you at the school gate." Kira kissed her temple, released her from his grasps, and walked into the cafeteria. He heaved a sigh of relief as he walked pass the food stand. The moment they just had was like a dream to him. He thought of asking Cagalli to pinch him the minute he'll reach the table. "A dream comes true… Unbelievable…"

Shifting his eyes to the table, he saw Athrun and Cagalli looking a bit stiff. _That's weird… Those two seemed to be in bad terms today. _He approached them and greeted with a "Hi!"

But both of them didn't bother to reply him.

Worried, he asked, "What's going on? Do you guys have a problem?"

Athrun and Cagalli still focused their eyes on each other, while they stayed silent. Each of them was thinking about what to say or what to do.

And Kira was getting a bit annoyed by the silence.

"What's the deal here, Athrun, Cagalli?" Kira placed his hands on their shoulder as he shook them. "Come on, tell me…"

"Kira, it's nothing!" retorted Cagalli, bolting up from her chair. "We don't have a problem, got it?" She glared at Kira with teary eyes.

"It doesn't look like its nothing. Don't lie to me, Cagalli."

"I told you its nothing!" She blurted out as she clenched her hands.

Before Kira could say anything Cagalli suddenly ran out of the cafeteria.

Athrun felt a bit upset yet guilty. Without turning his head at Kira, he said, "I'm sorry, Kira. It's my fault why she's acting like that."

Kira's eyes grew wide in surprise as he looked at his best friend. "What did you do to her?"

"You see, I-'' He was unexpectedly cut off by the high-pitched voice of Mia Campbell. "Oh dear Athrun!" She practically jumped on him. "It's been a while since we last talked." She wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to seduce him as usual.

But her antics won't work on him no matter how hard she tries. Athrun just got mad at her instead. "Please let go of me, Campbell. I'm in no mood for you." He glared at her to prove his point.

Mia released him and backed away immediately. "What's the matter, Athrun? Why are you looking at me that way?" She put on a pitiful expression.

"Why should I tell you? I don't have any business with you." He spun on his heels. "Come on, Kira, let's talk outside." He started walking away.

"Athrun, wait up!" Kira followed him closely.

They went out of the canteen, leaving Mia to wonder. Then she came up with a conclusion that steamed her up. "It's probably because of that Hibiki-girl! She's the reason why Athrun is mad. I won't forgive her."

_First Floor, Hallways _

Cagalli leaned her back against the wall, breathing heavily from all that running. She wasn't physically exhausted, only mentally and emotionally. She kept thinking about Athrun and his words. _"I love you…''_ She touched her temple as he remembered those three sweet yet bitter words. She couldn't calm herself up, knowing Athrun still needed her clear reply.

"I think I'm being unfair with him," she whispered softly.

Athrun was her precious friend since childhood. Treating him like some stranger wasn't a righteous act for a friend to do. Confessing his love wasn't wrong and she knew that pretty well. But his confession brought her pure pressure. Her feelings for him were rather questionable at this moment.

Then Shinn came into her mind.

"My feelings for my best friend are over! Why can't I get him out of my heart?!" She banged her fists on the wall. "Dammit!" Her emotions were getting the best of her again. She couldn't decide what to do. She needed someone to help her, someone to give her advises and someone to comfort her, and that someone was…

"Cagalli, what are you doing her all by herself?" a familiar voice spoke clearly to Cagalli.

"Miriallia?" muttered Cagalli, recognizing the voice right away. She turned to see her good friend, Miriallia Hawe, looking worriedly at her.

"You don't look good," said Miriallia, noticing Cagalli's expression. "Is something wrong?"

Not another word, Cagalli hugged Miriallia and buried her face in her chest. "I don't know what to do anymore!" Cagalli uttered, tears filling up her golden-brown eyes.

"Cagalli…" Miriallia started rubbing her back. "Tell me your problem…" She was ready to listen to her.

Cagalli hesitated. She can't find the right words to tell Miriallia. She was afraid of her reaction, but she totally needs someone to hear her out and Miriallia was the perfect girl for it.

She wiped her tears, cleared her throat, and started talking.

_Classroom _

Only a few students were in the room at the moment, so Kira and Athrun found it to be the ideal time to talk about Cagalli. Athrun took a seat on his rightful place and Kira pulled a chair and sat down in front of Athrun.

"What did you do to **my sister**?" Kira questioned seriously.

Athrun could feel Kira's intensity rising just by looking at him. "Well… You see…" He started nervously.

"I haven't got all day." Kira's patience was getting thinner, as he began tapping his foot. Normally he would have a long patience, but when it comes to his sister he becomes uptight.

"I finally told her how I feel."

"If that's the case, why isn't Cagalli happy?"

"I don't know, Kira. I just don't know." Athrun lowered his head. "And now she's avoiding me."

"Maybe you surprised her."

"That's not a reason for her to avoid me," muttered Athrun, narrowing his gaze, as he bit his lip. "She didn't even give me her answer."

"In other terms, you don't know how she feels about you." Kira began wondering about his sister's actions. For as long as he could remember, Cagalli had always been the girl who isn't afraid to speak out her mind. He even admired her uniqueness, one that Kira can never have. But now he found out a different side of her.

Feeling as if his life is on the line, Athrun grabbed his cell phone and dialed Cagalli's number.

"What are you doing?" asked Kira, looking curiously at the cell phone.

"I'm calling Cagalli. I want this thing to be sort out."

"Calling her won't do you any good, Athrun." Kira reached for his phone and placed it on the table. "It's better if you talk to her personally."

Through gritted teeth Athrun said, "But she keeps avoiding me."

"Don't worry," replied Kira, fully aware of the situation, "I'm gonna help you."

_Rooftop_

Heaving the sigh of relief, Shinn leaned his back against the fence and looked up at the sky. His talk with Lunamaria removed some guilt in his heart, though it ended awfully. He had to admit it was the first time he tried to be nice to her.

"And I'm never gonna do that again!" He yelled, thinking _Hawke's out of my hair. I'm sure she won't bother Stellar ever again! _

"Never gonna do what again?" Stellar popped out of nowhere and asked the question.

Shinn got a bit frightened by her sudden appearance, which almost made him jump back. Gaining composure, he greeted, "Hi Stellar!"

"Why were you yelling?"

_She actually heard that? _His face turned red from embarrassment. _I'm sure she's thinking I'm weird or something. _He smacked his temple for that.

"Shinn, is something wrong?" Stellar insisted on her questions.

"Nothing's wrong," he answered in a lively tone. "I'm actually happy, because I finally talk to Hawke."

Stellar smiled. "You told her everything you need to say?"

"Yeah… It's was hard, but I did it."

"How did Hawke-san take it?"

Shinn's face darkened. "She took it pretty badly."

"Is that so? I feel bad for her…" Stellar grimaced, feeling worried for Luna.

Shinn also felt sad, but he knew he has nothing to worry about anymore. Surely he knew Luna can recover easily from a broken heart. He could just sense a strong passion in her. "Hawke will be fine. At least, she won't bother us anymore."

"Would you really consider that a good thing?" she questioned, lowering her voice and her head.

Shinn became silent. Knowing Luna wouldn't be a bother was thrilling for him, but he could picture her as a miserable girl like before. From what he has learned, Luna was a loner, an outcast, and a nobody in class. He never did give her any recognition.

_But she changed when she fell in love with me… _Yes, he had noticed this from the start. From the moment she realized her feelings Lunamaria became determined, confident, and brave. She was even ready to face Stellar to get him. He had to admit she was admirable.

But she could never win his heart. The only girl for Shinn would always be Stellar Loussier.

"Stellar…" Shinn called, shifting his eyes at the blonde. "I love you…"

"Huh?" gasped Stellar. "Um… You haven't answered my question."

"No." He quickly pulled her to him, encircled his arms around her waist, and brought her head against his chest. "Stellar, because of what I did, Hawke will feel more alone. I can't bring myself to befriend her, but I know you can."

"But Shinn… Hawke-san doesn't…"

"Like you?" Shinn shook his head rapidly. "Please try, Stellar. I don't want her to suffer anymore. Please be her friend."

Even though Shinn wasn't acting his usual self, Stellar understood him. She had always known the kindness within him from the day he met him. Sure, she admitted he was rough around the edges, but she saw right through him. His care for Lunamaria was the proof of his kindness, which made Stellar happy.

"All right, Shinn. I will try." Stellar raised her head to meet his eyes. She looked kindly at him with a gentle smile. "I'm going to do this not only for you but for Hawke-san as well."

_To be continued…_

* * *

Akatsuki-hime: Finally done with this chapter. I'm sorry if it's short. I have no more time to right and I totally blame my mom for that. She always grounds me from using the computer, which is totally unfair. Oh well… I'm glad JC-Zala helps me out so much. Oh, review, review! Flames are a big NO! 


	23. Phase 23: From Friendship to Love

Akatsuki-hime: Thank you to all my reviewers! Oh, I want to thank JC-Zala again for helping me out and letting me use her computer to type this.

Disclaimer: I want to own the characters, but they belong to their respective owners.

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 23: From Friendship to Love

After telling Miriallia the whole story, Cagalli burst into tears and buried her face in her hands.

Miriallia rubbed her back, hoping it would help soothe her. Surely she was appalled from Cagalli's experiences, but she also understood her state. Being in love with her best friend was one problem, but having a close friend admit his feelings to you was another big matter. She couldn't find the right words to tell Cagalli at the moment, so all she could do was to stay silent—even if it doesn't help.

A minute has passed and Cagalli calmed down. She leaned on Miriallia's shoulder, tears still streaming down her face. "What should I do? I feel like I'm torn between these two."

Miriallia pasted a weak smile on her face. "Cagalli, you should find yourself first," she finally spoke. "You're quite unstable right now. Jumping into this matter before taking care of yourself will only lead you nowhere."

"But Athrun… Shinn…" Cagalli stammered, gritting her teeth.

"Cagalli, you should look inside you. Listen to what your heart is telling you."

"My heart?" muttered Cagalli, placing her hand on her heart. "Listen to what my heart is telling."

"You got confused because you let your mind do all the word. You didn't even stop to listen to your heart."

She straightened and closed her eyes. She breathed in deeply and breathed out slowly. "Listen to what my heart is telling…" she kept on saying as she meditated. She could hear the sound of her heart beat getting louder and louder.

"Now think about Asuka, your best friend," Miriallia told her.

She did. All of her memories of Shinn came into her mind in a split second. She also pictured out Shinn smiling at her, which he rarely does. His smile was warm, kind, and relieving. She would always cheer up after seeing that smile of his. Not only that, she remembered his kindness as well. The strong Shinn was actually a softy when it comes to the people he cared, especially her.

_Shinn is one of my most valuable persons, because he is my best friend… _With that she realized something important. _But my feelings for him… _She felt her heart, sensed happiness, but no love.

"Miriallia," she talked without opening her eyes, "I now know that Shinn could never be anything but a dear friend to me." Her cheeks burned in light shades of red.

"You do love Shinn, but only in a friendly way. You probably got confused because you couldn't distinguish your feelings."

Cagalli nodded her head in reply.

"Okay, it's time for you to think about Athrun," Miriallia said, patting Cagalli's shoulder for good luck.

"Athrun?"

"Don't tell me you're backing out?"

"No! I'm gonna do this." Trying to stay firm, though she was hesitant, Cagalli started thinking about Athrun Zala.

The first time she met him was unusual. You don't get to see two kids bump into each other while trying to get away from their parents. Of course, Cagalli was the aggressive one so she got mad at Athrun. She even insulted him. Even so, Athrun remained quiet in front of her. It was like he was star struck.

"_Hello! Is your brain still working!" the young 9-year old Cagalli yelled out, hitting Athrun's head lightly. _

_Athrun slapped her hand unintentionally and backed away. "What was that for?" _

"_You dare to slap my hand like that! Why I ought to…" Cagalli was about to kick his sorry butt when she saw her mother coming. "Oh no, it's my mom!" _

"_I'm gonna tell your mom what you did to me," threatened Athrun, acting all mighty. _

"_I won't let you do that." Cagalli grabbed his arm and hauled him towards the Boutique, where they hid inside the dressing rooms. _

"_Why are you hiding from your mom?" Athrun asked. _

_Cagalli shrugged. "It's none of your business!" _

"_You're cute for a grouch." _

_She blushed at the mention of cute. She quickly hid her expression by turning around, but she faced the mirror instead. Seeing her reflection only made her more restless. _

"_Anyway, how long should I be hiding here with you?" _

"_Until the coast is clear, got it?" _

"_And when is that?" Athrun was starting to be sarcastic with her. _

_Irritated, Cagalli pushed Athrun aside to scan outside the room. Outside, she found only the shopkeepers and some customers, but no mother. She smiled. "Yes, mom's not here. It's safe to go out now."_

"_Really? Thank goodness." _

"_Don't get cocky with me, you… you…" She wanted to call him something, but she figured to ask his name instead. "What is your name anyway?" _

"_Why should I tell you? You're a total stranger to me." _

"_All I'm asking is your name, you idiot!" Cagalli clenched her fists. _

"_My name is not important to you, so why bother?" _

_Cagalli narrowed her gaze in anger. "I'm gonna…!" Before she could whack Athrun on the head, someone suddenly grabbed her arm and hauled her backwards. "What the!" _

"_There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" _

_Cagalli looked up only to see her mother's worried face. "Um…Hi mom… You found me." _

"_Please don't run off again, Cagalli." Mrs. Hibiki reprimanded her daughter in a mild way. _

_Cagalli nodded her head. "Okay, I won't run off again." But she couldn't promise that. _

_Athrun stood there, watching the mother and daughter smiling at each other. He felt a little sad, because he knew he could never feel a mother's love. His mother died, leaving him without a notice. Oh how he wished his mother was alive until now, so he could experience what Cagalli was experiencing. Somehow, he felt jealous of her. _

"_She's pretty lucky," he murmured, heaving a sigh. He started walking towards the exit, not planning on stopping to look back. He didn't want to get hurt so he hurried on. But he was stopped by Cagalli… _

"_Hey you!" Cagalli went in front of him, blocking his way. "I'm not through with you yet!" _

"_Look, I don't have time for you." _

"_You're a lost kid too, right?" Cagalli's face softened as she smiled. _

"_To tell you the truth, I've ran away from my father to explore this mall." _

"_Then you're father must be worried about you, young man." Mrs. Hibiki approached him and knelt down to his level. She looked at him tenderly like the mother she is as she stroked his raven-blue hair. _

_Athrun felt comfortable around her. He felt like seeing his own mother again—even though she was a different person. But he could sense his mother within her. Athrun wanted to hug her but he hesitated, knowing she belonged to someone else. _

_Getting impatient of standing around, Cagalli suggested to look for his father. _

"_I agree," Mrs. Hibiki replied. She offered her hand to Athrun and said, "Come on, let's go…" _

_Of course, Athrun hesitated, not because he was shy, but because he knew she was not his mother. "I could walk by myself." _

"_But you could get lost again." _

"_I appreciate your concern but I can manage." _

"_Don't be such a kill joy, you… Hey, what's you name anyway!" Cagalli insisted. _

"_Ah… Athrun… Athrun Zala…" _

"_Athrun, huh? Weird name." Cagalli giggled. _

"_Cagalli, that's rude." Mrs. Hibiki gave her daughter a glare. "Apologized to him this instant." _

"_What! Sheesh…" groaned Cagalli, turning to Athrun. "Sorry about that. By the way, the name's Cagalli Yula Hibiki."_

"_Hey, your name is pretty weird too." Athrun also giggled in revenge. _

"_Not as weird as you." Cagalli put on a bloated face as she raised an eyebrow. _

_Athrun tried to hold his laughter after seeing her face, but he couldn't control it. He burst into hard laughter, almost sending him to his knees. "You're really funny!"_

_Well, Cagalli didn't get mad at him. Seeing him laugh like a maniac triggered her funny bone and made her laugh as well. "Stupid… Haha…" _

"Athrun…" She spoke with a light giggle. She found it unbelievable for her to remember things just like that. Those memories of the past, she thought, were really precious.

She recalled finding his father after their introductions. Athrun was quite happy to see his father again—even though he said he wanted to go on his own for a while. Cagalli never seemed to find any similarities of Athrun and his father, which brought her to ask him about his mother. But all she got was silence from him. That's when she figured, "His mother was deceased."

Since the discovery, Cagalli led him to her own mother. She let him experience how it was like to have mother to care and love you. Surely Athrun enjoyed being with her mother, and Cagalli was happy for him. During those times, Cagalli and Athrun became close friends.

Eventually she introduced Athrun to Kira and her best friend, Shinn Asuka. _His first meeting with Shinn was a memorable one, _she thought, giggling. Of course, Shinn didn't like the idea of being friends with Athrun. The reason? He was kinda jealous because Cagalli kept on bragging about Athrun. Shinn felt left out until Cagalli talked some sense into him.

"Shinn kept bugging Athrun whenever he sees me with him," Cagalli said.

"For what reason?" Miriallia asked.

"He told me he was just being protective."

"I think he was jealous since you were always with Athrun." Miriallia tapped her chin, looking intelligent.

"I guess so."

"But Shinn had treated you a friend since the beginning, right? He never had special feelings for you, right?"

Cagalli slowly nodded her head. "I realized that when he met Stellar Loussier."

"Stellar's one cute girl. Her pleasing personality is the perfect match for Shinn's."

"They're completely compatible," Cagalli added, fiddling with her fingers.

Miriallia agreed with her all the way. She was about to ask another question about Shinn until she suddenly remembered something… "Cagalli, you told me before that Athrun saved you countless times."

"Yes." Cagalli could feel her lips curling up. "He also saved me from being rammed by a vehicle," she said.

"What!" Miriallia's eyes grew wide as marbles. "I'm glad you're okay," she said, placing a hand over Cagalli's.

"Yup, I'm okay thanks to At—" She then remembered something from that incident. When Athrun saved her, she felt something sparked up deep within her heart. Her heart raced as she realized Athrun was holding her so securely in his arms. Not only did she feel warmth but also a calming feeling. "Athrun…"

"Cagalli, I've been observing Athrun since 1st year. I've noticed how he looks at you, how he speaks to you, and how he cares for you." Miriallia started explaining. "Athrun is always different around you unlike with other girls."

"I didn't know that."

"But now you know."

Cagalli became silent as she thought about her past moments with Athrun.

_Not another word from her, Cagalli was pulled into a hug by Athrun. He wrapped his arms securely around, nestling the warmth inside of him. Though he felt nervous, he still managed to whisper sweet words into Cagalli's ear. His words were profound, engaging and true. He was being true to himself after so many years. Finally, he was able to gather the courage to confess his love for the girl he truly loves. _

"_I love you, Cagalli..." _

"_What!" were the words she could only utter at that moment. She was too surprised and too stiff to even move a muscle. She was rather motionless. Never has she seen Athrun acting this way. In addition to that, she was hugging her so lovingly. It was her first time to be held like that. _

_She felt something deep stirring in her heart. Was it love? She wasn't sure. She let her thoughts drift with the wind as she stared up in the sky. A sudden image crossed her mind that brought her back to reality. Gently, she pulled herself away from her childhood friend and faced his emerald green eyes. _

"_Cagalli, I..." Athrun wanted to tell her again, but Cagalli stopped him by placing her finger on his lips. From that action, Athrun could sense something sore emitting from his heart. Was it fear? He admitted to himself that he was afraid. But he had told himself to be strong enough to bear any consequences. _

"Athrun loves me and…" Cagalli muttered, feeling her temple. "I-I…"

Miriallia knew how confused a girl can be with her feelings. She was also experiencing the same thing, and until now she can't express her true feelings for the guy she loves. She sighed deeply and concentrated on Cagalli again.

"I-I'm not how to say this," Cagalli stammered, her hands trembling. "But I do love him." She pasted a weak smile on her face.

"You love him?" Miriallia squeezed Cagalli's hand gently. "Are you sure?"

Cagalli's smile became wider. "I'm sure of it, Miriallia. I guess I was just too blind to even see what my feelings are. But now everything's so clear to me."

Miriallia hugged her, showing how happy she was. "I was right. My intuition never ceased to amaze me."

"What do you mean?" asked Cagalli, curious all of a sudden.

"I've always knew that you love him, Cagalli."

"What! But how?"

"Let's just say that it's a friend's intuition."

"Miriallia…" Cagalli's eyes softened. "Thank you…" She hugged her back as a drop of tear fell from her eye. Now that realized her love for Athrun, she was ready to face him and give a reply.

_To be continued…_

_

* * *

_

Akatsuki-hime: Cagalli's in love with Athrun! AsuCaga fans celebrate now! Sorry if this chapter is too fluffy. I promise to have AsuCaga moments in the next chapter, and maybe some AuelMey as well. See ya later! Don't forget to review!


	24. Phase 24: The Trick and the Truth

Akatsuki-hime: I'm terribly sorry for the delay. I just don't have time anymore to write with school and all. Darn it! I'm grateful for all the reviews and support for my story. I didn't think I would make it this far. And oh, **JC-Zala** has always been a great help to me. Thank you my friend!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed Destiny. The plot for this chapter came from JC-Zala.

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 24: The Trick and the Truth

_Cafeteria _

"I never expected Cagalli to act that way," Kira said after hearing Miriallia's story about her counseling with Cagalli yesterday. He took a sip of his soda.

Miriallia has given a lot of thoughts about telling Kira. But she figured it would be best to let the brother know. "She was really confused. She was like a little child who lost her way. I felt so sorry for her," Miriallia said in a low voice. She put down her spoon and heaved a sigh.

"I was gonna help her, but you beat me to her." Kira took a hotdog with a fork and gobbled it up in a split second. "And I'm grateful for what you did, Miriallia," he said with a smile.

"I just did the right thing for Cagalli," she replied, pasting a faint smile on her face. "But I'm kinda nervous for her right now…" She placed her elbows on the table and clasped her hands together.

Miriallia knew Cagalli was a strong girl, but Cagalli's emotions can sometimes be unstable. Now that Cagalli realized her feelings for Athrun, she will surely tell him. However, what if she won't? That would be a big problem. "I better check on her. Kira, where is she right now?" she asked, bolting out of her seat.

"I think she's having lunch with Shinn on the rooftop," Kira answered, taking one last bite of his food. "Are you going to advise her on something?"

"Yeah…"

"Then I'm coming with you. I'm also worried about her." Kira finished his soda and stood up.

Kira and Miriallia exited the cafeteria, rushed through the hallways and ascended the stairs. As they reached the 3rd floor, they encountered Fllay, who just happened to have a new hairstyle.

"Hi there…umm… Fllay?" Miriallia said, looking puzzled, as she took a closer look at Fllay's face. "Wait… Are you Fllay?"

Fllay giggled a bit. "What if I tell you I'm Meyrin?" She put on her sweetest and cutest face.

"Meyrin?" muttered Miriallia, still in doubt.

"Quit the act," Kira spoke, "I know it's you, Fllay." He gently pulled one of Fllay's pigtails. "What's with the new style?" Kira looked curious.

"Stop that!" uttered Fllay, brushing Kira's hand away. She backed away as she fixed her hair. "Who told you to mess my hair up!"

"With that tone, I can really tell you're Fllay." Miriallia placed her hands on her waist as she looked mischievously at Fllay. "So, why are pretending to be your cousin Meyrin?" she asked with a face who wants answers.

"I want to know as well," Kira added, giving Fllay the stare.

Fllay swallowed hard. Surely she was hiding something, but she was not about to tell them. She had an awesome plan in her mind and it must be a secret. With no other choice, she had to make something up. "I just wanna try out Meyrin's style," she said.

"Oh, really?" said Kira, unconvinced.

"Come on, Kira, don't you know that pigtails make a girl cute?" Fllay pouted, pretending to be pissed off.

Miriallia had to agree with Fllay, but… "I thought you don't do pigtails."

Tension rising, Fllay plastered a sad smile as she lowered her head in defeat. "I'm doing this as a favor from Meyrin," she wailed, fiddling with her hands.

"So that's why…" Kira said, finally looking convinced. "And here I thought you were going to trick some people again."

Fllay felt the sweat forming on her forehead. She was indeed scared of Kira finding out the real reason. "Ah… Kira… Please… I'm not going to do that…" she stammered.

Suddenly remembering about Cagalli, Miriallia told Kira to get going.

Kira acknowledge her by nodding. She turned to Fllay and said, "I'll see ya later."

"Sure… Later…" She lightly laughed to ease her tension. As Kira climbed the stairs, she sighed in relief. "That was a close one…"

"Um…Fllay…"

"What is it!" She boomed, not realizing that Kira's in front of her.

"Sorry to startle you," Kira retorted.

"Please don't appear so suddenly!"

Kira grumbled, "It wasn't on purpose." He spun on his heels and said, "By the way, you look cute today." He could feel his cheeks turning red.

Fllay smiled and thanked him for his compliment. She wasn't expecting him to say she was cute, but she was happy anyway. She approached Kira and gave him a light pat on the shoulder. "I hope you're also complimenting other girls, especially Clyne-san," she whispered into his ear.

His cheeks turned even brighter.

And Fllay just laughed at his reaction. "Kira, you should learn how to control yourself. You're as red as a lobster." With one last laugh, she walked off while humming a wonderful tune.

"Fllay…" For knowing Fllay for so long has its price. He had always considered Fllay as a special person in his life. Sure, he had to admit there were times he fell in love with Fllay, but he knew being friends with her would be better. Plus, he had Lacus now. "I love Lacus and I'm sure my feelings for her would always remain the same… I hope…"

Somehow, he was struck by a heavy thought. _"If I were to choose between the two of them, who would I choose: The love of my life or my friend?" _He shook his head, hoping it would drive the question out of his head. "Why am I thinking about this now? I still have to check on Cagalli." He focused on the stairs as he ran up the stairs.

_Garden _

Auel had just finished lunch and decided to take a rest in the garden. He sat down on a patch of grass under the big tree in the middle of the garden. He looked up to see the celadon green leaves decorating the branches of the tree. He wasn't the type to appreciate nature, but he had to admit that the tree was striking. As he leaned his back against the tree, he closed his eyes and thought about Meyrin. A smile came to his face as he placed his hands behind his head. He wished she was with him at the moment to share some moment of peace.

Unexpectedly, his wish came true… Meyrin appeared behind the tree and greeted Auel with a cheerful yet loud "Good Afternoon, Auel!"

Auel's eyes popped wide open in surprise as he backed away from her. "M-m-me-Meyrin, you scared me there," he managed to say.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Meyrin said, bowing her head. "I didn't mean to sur—"

Auel quickly cut her off with an "Ssshhh!" He gazed at her with a smile. "It's all right, Meyrin."

"So you forgive me?" Meyrin asked anxiously, clasping her hands together.

Auel nodded his head in reply.

"Thank you!" This time, Meyrin raised her arm up high in excitement. "Hey Auel, do you wanna hang out with me after school?" she then asked.

"Hang out with you?" he stuttered. He had never expected for a shy girl like Meyrin to ask him to hang out with her. It was totally new and unbelievable. "Um… Sure, I would love to!"

Meyrin knelt down to his level and stared intensely at him with a mischievous expression. She was somehow telling Auel that something wasn't right. Of course, Auel minded her expression and noticed something when he scanned her face and hair—they were totally distinguishable. In addition, her eye color was a bit different, making him wondered if she used contact lenses. And the smile, the sinister smile only one girl has and that happened to be…

"Fllay Alster!" uttered Auel, shocked to see Meyrin's cousin in the flesh.

Fllay snorted. "I can't believe you find out…" she said, lowering her head. "But how did you know? I mean Meyrin and I look alike, and with the pigtails and…" She straightened, giving Auel a dubious face.

"Before that," Auel said seriously, "why did you pretend to be Meyrin? Are you playing a prank on me?" His eyebrows furrowed as he sank his eyes at Fllay.

Fllay giggled as she took Auel's hand and place it against her cheek. "Don't be mad at me. I was just kidding," she muttered in a sweet and seductive way.

Auel's face flushed red in an instant, thinking Fllay was Meyrin at the moment. He had always imagined himself being held by Meyrin and he was actually experiencing it at the moment. However, he felt disappointed because he knew she was Fllay and not Meyrin.

He heaved a sigh as he took his hand away from Fllay. "You're Meyrin's cousin, right? Can you keep a secret?" He faced Fllay, hoping she would say yes.

Fllay, on the other hand, knew what kind of secret he has. So before Auel could say another word, she told, "You mean you're secret admiration for my cousin Meyrin."

"What the hell!" growled Auel, eyes widening in surprise. "You knew?"

"I just found out awhile ago when you thought I was Meyrin. Your eyes had a special glitter in them."

"Is that so?" Auel replied, thinking _glitter in my eyes? What is she talking about? _Putting that thought aside, he asked Fllay to keep his secret a secret. He was afraid of what Meyrin would say when she finds out.

"I won't tell her unless you tell her first," Fllay muttered, stroking her beautiful red hair.

Auel felt a lump in his throat. "Are you dead serious?"

Fllay showed him a smirked. "Of course I am. Besides, you can't keep your feelings all to yourself. You better express it, free it, and let her know how much you love her." She placed her right hand on her heart and closed her eyes. "Auel, don't be hesitant when it comes to love." Her lips curled up into a smile as she opened her eyes and gazed at him.

"Wait, I'm not ready yet. I'm still trying to find the right time."

"And when will that be?" she retorted, raising one eyebrow. "If you don't wanna tell her then I'll tell her!" She turned around and walked away in a thumping manner.

Auel panicked. "Alster, wait! Don't tell her! Stop!" He stood and ran towards her. He went in front of her to block her way. "I have to tell her myself. I don't want my secret coming from you."

"Okay, I'll ask you again," she said, "when will that be?" She sounded unquestionably serious, which made Auel nervous.

"Saturday," he answered properly. "I'm gonna take her out on a date."

"Good… Just make sure you don't surprise her too much."

Auel scratched his head as he laughed lightly. "Um… I'll try my best, Alster."

It was another job well done for Fllay. She had successfully carried her plans that will surely make her cousin Meyrin happy. She bid Auel goodbye and then she left the garden without a fuss.

_Class 3-A_

"Quit slacking off, Dearka!" Yzak Joule scowled at his best friend, who happened to be sleeping at his desk. Yzak's voice was loud enough to wake Dearka up.

"What the hell is your problem, Yzak? You didn't have to shout." Dearka yawned with his mouth wide open.

Yzak folded his arms in front of him. "Don't you have any manners? You do know that it's only right to cover your mouth when yawning." He was lecturing Dearka as if he was a teacher or father. But Dearka would always tune out Yzak's lecture and goes to sleep.

"Don't bother me… I wanna rest," Dearka said lazily, yawning and stretching out his arms.

"This is no time for you to rest, Dearka."

"And why not?" replied Dearka, looking sleepy, as he shifted his eyes at his silver-haired friend.

Yzak wanted Dearka to help him in some school work, which was actually killing him. He couldn't take the pressure and he definitely needed some time-off. But he knew that telling Dearka about his school work won't send him flying off his chair. So, he needed someone to get him motivated. "Dearka, you better get your butt moving coz Miriallia Hawe is coming," Yzak said teasingly, though, it wasn't his style.

In an instant, Dearka bolted up from the chair and looked around the classroom in search for the girl he loved. "Where is she? You said she's coming, so where is she?" Dearka faced his best friend with a question mark on his face.

"I was just pulling your leg, Dearka. Hawe is not here."

"Hey, you tricked me," stated Dearka, pulling a face. "I can't believe you, Yzak."

Yzak shrugged. "And I don't care. Now, if you don't mind helping me with some work—" he said as he got cut off by Dearka.

"Don't you ever trick me by using Miriallia-san's name," Dearka told him off.

"Like I said, I don't care." Yzak rolled his eyes away from him. "Now come on… You have to help me or else." He made it sound like a death threat.

Dearka groaned rashly. "Like I have a choice."

_To be continued…_

_

* * *

_

Akatsuki-hime: Auel is gonna confess to Meyrin thanks to Fllay. Fllay's main role in the story is the matchmaker! Does she have a pairing here? I'm not gonna tell! What's with Kira thinking about Fllay and Lacus? Hmm… strange, right? Hehe…

Next chapter will feature Athrun and Cagalli moments with a little Dearka and Milly.


	25. Phase 25: A Moment to Cherish Forever

Akatsuki-hime: Hey, what's up? I'm back with another chapter after a long time. Gosh, my studies are killing me. Could somebody just burn my school so I can get on with my life! Ahem… sorry about that. Anyway, I hope you guys will enjoy this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed and this chapter was co-written by JC-Zala.

* * *

**Destiny High School **

Phase 25: A Moment to Cherish Forever

Miriallia and Kira found Cagalli leaning against the fence, while staring into blank space. They knew Cagalli was in very deep thought and from the look on her face, she seemed to be troubled. Fairly it was obvious that Cagalli has not yet told Athrun about her true feelings. And she couldn't possibly hide it from him, so being hesitant was no option for her. But Cagalli had given thought about the time she rejected Athrun's feelings. She knew she had pained him and she had regretted it.

"Cagalli," Kira said, walking up to her. Cagalli looked up and acknowledged him with a faint smile and a "HI!" She looked wearily as if she was drained of energy. Kira felt concerned for his twin that he pulled her to a hug. "What the hell is wrong with you! You're never like this, Cagalli!" Kira tightened his grip around her, trying to let her feel his emotions and sincerity for her. He hated seeing Cagalli in a depressed state; he wanted a smiling Cagalli, one filled with energy and spunk.

She was touched by her brother's warmth and care. All her life, she had been a strong girl in front of Kira and she had never let one problem get her down so much. Kira wanted the old Cagalli back, the sister who would've face challenges and solve even the difficult of problems. For Cagalli, Kira's actions meant a lot to her. "I'm sorry, Kira. I guess love made me weak." Her lips curved into a small smile, as he slowly pulled away from her. Cagalli looked up at him, with her golden-orbs that shone eminently in his own.

"Cagalli, you're in love with Athrun," Kira said, "which is why you should tell him. You know you shouldn't keep that love hidden inside you." He suddenly remembered the time he told Lacus how much she meant to him, how much he loved her and cared for her. Lacus was in his world now. She was a part of him. And he never felt so lucky to have a girl like her.

To Cagalli, love was a big issue for her. She had thought her heart only beat for Shinn, but, as Miriallia said, her feelings for him were only mutual. The one she really loved and adored was Athrun. "Kira, I don't know what to say to him," she said, looking worried, as she clasped her hands together.

"Just say you love him… That's all there is to it," Miriallia suggested, nearing Cagalli's side. "I'm sure he'll be glad to hear those three lovely words from you." Miriallia had the face of assurance, which lightened Cagalli a bit.

"Thanks Miriallia… Thanks Kira…" Cagalli looked at both of them, smiling and thinking how wonderful it was to have them close to you. "I'll try my best."

"Don't try. Just do it." Kira hanged his arm over her shoulder and pulled her closer. "And you better do it now."

Cagalli raised one eye brow at him. "What! Now!" She gasped, terribly horrified. "Can't it wait until tomorrow?" She wanted to prepare for it first before doing anything.

Kira, as well as Miriallia, said, "No, it has to be now!"

Cagalli's face darkened. "No way… You guys are serious about this," she whined. There was no way out for her. She had to do what they told her or else they won't leave her alone. She sighed and asked, "Where is he?"

"You mean Athrun, right?" Miriallia asked.

Cagalli nodded slowly as she blushed.

"I think you'll find him in the Soccer Locker Room," Kira answered knowingly.

"Thanks…" Cagalli quickly ran off, waving back at Kira and Miriallia, and then disappeared completely at the entrance. She was now determined to tell Athrun how she felt and nothing can ever stop her. She ran and ran through the hallways of the school as she reached to the desired place. She pouted as she leaned back on the wall, trying to regain her normal breathing. "I can do this. I know I can." She had always assured her this way.

But as she was about to turn the knob of the door, a familiar voice suddenly called her name and scared the living daylights out of her. Quickly, she turned around and saw Athrun. He was going to get his soccer ball from the locker when he noticed Cagalli standing in front of the locker room. "Oh, it's you…" she stuttered, feeling a bit nervous facing him. Frankly, she was ashamed of rejecting Athrun when he confessed his feelings to her wholeheartedly. She had no courage to look at him in the eye.

"Cagalli, were you looking for me?" Athrun asked, and Cagalli nodded. It was a relief for Athrun. Finally! Cagalli was going to talk to him after being neglected. He wasn't mad at her for that. He completely understood what Cagalli felt and it was totally fine with him. He had even blamed himself for putting Cagalli in a state of confusion. "What do you want to say to me?" He put a foot forward, and she backed away a few steps.

Bowing her head, she said, "I'm really sorry, Athrun. I've been such a fool to disregard your feelings." Cagalli had the urge to cry but tried her best to be strong. She didn't want to show any tears or weakness to the guy she loved. It was inappropriate, she thought.

Athrun's eyes softened as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not bothered by what you did. It was understandable." He lifted her chin to make her look at him. As his eyes met hers, he smiled radiantly and touched her cheek. "And don't think you're a fool."

"But Athrun… I…" Cagalli's heart started to pick up a fast phase. Her cheeks flushed red in an instant and her knees felt weak. As she continued to gaze into his emerald green orbs, she felt like melting right in front of him. She had never felt so wonderful just by being near him. For the past years she had treated Athrun only as a friend, but now she thought differently of him. She was in love with him. "I realized something very important…" she started talking slowly, thinking carefully of what she was going to say.

"What is it?"

Cagalli held his hand that was on her cheek. Gently squeezing it, she showed a well-toothed smile and uttered three astonishing words to him. Then she gave him a very warm embrace, which shocked Athrun so much. There were no words that could explain his overwhelming joy in his heart. He stood there, quietly, as he slowly wrapped his arms around her. "Cagalli…" he whispered her name into her hair, as she giggled.

"I'm going to say it again, Athrun…" She pulled herself away to face Athrun sincerely. "I love you…" she said softly. And as she said it, her heart suddenly felt lighter.

"I love you too." He kissed her, and she gratefully accepted it. There was nobody else in the hallways except for the two of them. Truly it would be a memorable day and time for them as they held each other. There was a growing heat and passion between them, and their kiss just got deeper and wilder. But they didn't care as long as they enjoyed the moment.

_Miriallia's House_

Once again Dearka was visiting Miriallia to see her and to feed on her delicious home-made desserts. When it came to baking, Dearka thought, Miriallia was the best! He had eaten anything Miriallia makes and he had always complimented the girl. Besides, he was also doing it to be a lot closer to her.

The time he met Miriallia was memorable. He wasn't the brightest of students and he wasn't even good in History. He had entered Destiny High School as a freshman two years ago and became classmates with Miriallia Hawe. He did find Miriallia cute and attractive, but he didn't like her for being so studious. She was, after all, the smartest girl in class. She had graduated from junior high as a Valedictorian and had won several academic competitions. Not only that, she was also a good Editorial News Writer. For Dearka, girls like that wouldn't want to waste their time on guys like him. He was more of a lazy slut who likes to take things easily. To put it simply, he was like the complete opposite of Miriallia Hawe.

But he had discovered something new about her during the second day of class. As he was walking by the tennis and badminton courts, he spotted Miriallia playing badminton, while wearing a very short pants and white t-shirt. He immediately stopped just to observe Miriallia for a while. She was playing against a girl with long straight pink hair, and that girl was wearing the same outfit as her. But his eyes focused on Miriallia. Eventually, Miriallia beat the pink-haired girl called Mia Campbell. Dearka was very impressed with the results.

"_Not only is she good with her studies, she also a good player," _he thought quietly, planning to walk up to her and greet her.

But Miriallia approached him instead. "Hello, Elthman-kun," she said, smiling, as she sipped water from her water bottle. "What brings you here? Don't tell you're interested in playing badminton?"

Dearka shook his head right away. "I was just passing by," he answered. "By the way, you played great." And it was the truth. He had never seen a smart and studious girl played like a regular athlete before.

"Thank you." Miriallia wiped off the sweat from her forehead and she moseyed over to the bench. She looked up at Dearka and told him to sit down beside her. "Let's talk some more, Elthman-kun." She sounded interested in him as she said it.

Dearka, without any warning, blushed. He didn't know why or what is going on, but he decided to ignore it and act casually. He sat down beside Miriallia and accidentally touched her hand. "Ah sorry!" he uttered, lifting his hand up.

"It's okay," Miriallia giggled, making Dearka blushed madly. Not only was his face red, his heart was pumping loudly like a drum. His body felt like it was totally out of control as knees and feet trembled a little. And as he gazed more into Miriallia's eyes, he felt tenser and tenser by the minute.

"Elthman-kun, are you all right? You look pale. Do you have a fever?" Miriallia placed her hand on his temple to check his temperature. "You feel fine to me and—" She was going to conclude her sentence until Dearka jumped out of his seat and laughed nervously.

"Sorry! I have to go!" He said stiffly in a loud voice. He quickly turned around and ran away as fast as he could. He knew he had acted weirdly in front of Miriallia and he felt totally revolted with himself. "_What the matter with me!" _he mused as he kept running. His heart was pounding and his thoughts were about her. As he entered the comfort room and looked at his reflection in the mirror, he saw his bright red cheeks.

At that moment, he realized what was wrong with him. Actually it was nothing. He was just in love that's all. "I'm in love with her…" he muttered softly, hoping nobody was in the room to hear him. "I can't believe it. I fell in love with Miriallia Hawe." And from that moment, he vowed to love and support Miriallia till the end.

"Dearka, here's some cookies I just baked. I want you finish them all up." Miriallia presented a tray of cookies and set it on the coffee table. She was definitely excited to let Dearka eat it. "Come on… Try my sugar cookies."

Without hesitation, Dearka picked up one and gobbled the whole cookie in one bite. As he savored the treat, he looked up at Miriallia and smiled. "It's delicious. Though they're sugar cookies, they're not that sweet and not that dull. It's just right." Dearka sounded like a professional chef from the way he explained. But chef or not, Miriallia was happy.

"I was right not putting in too much sugar," Miriallia said, giggling, and ate a cookie as well.

"Miriallia, you're so multi-talented. You're good at badminton, cooking, and writing. You're a model student and the class president. Is there anything you can't do?" Dearka had the sudden urge to ask that, though he knew she would answer in a humble way.

"Please stop it, Dearka. You're exaggerating," Miriallia replied with a light laugh, as Dearka shook his head. He had always admired her humbleness. No matter how you flattered her, Miriallia will always say she's not that good at all. But for the eyes of many, Miriallia was a gifted girl with talents.

"I'm only telling the truth," Dearka said, taking another cookie. They talked and ate cookies for hours. They didn't bother checking the time because they were so interested in each other's tales and gossips. But when it was already 6:30 PM, Miriallia told Dearka that she had to prepare dinner for her parents. "Then I better go home now." He sighed, wanting to stay with Miriallia for a little while longer.

"Yeah… Be careful on your way home, Dearka." It was very sweet of her to worry for his safety. She escorted him to the door and reminded him to study for tomorrow's quiz.

"Thanks… I'll make sure I study hard." He wasn't the type to be diligent, but when Miriallia tells him to study, he really studies. One time, he got a very high score in History because Miriallia helped him in memorizing important dates and time. He was very grateful to Miriallia. "I'll see you tomorrow." He waved as he started walking off.

"See you!" Miriallia answered back, waving her hand as well. As soon as Dearka disappeared from her sight, Miriallia went inside, closed the door behind her, and thought about what to bake for Dearka tomorrow.

_To be continued..._

* * *

Akatsuki-hime: Chapter 25 finished! My next chapter is going to be late as usual. Just want to remind everyone that I only have less time to write because of my studies. I'm very sorry… So how was it? I hope it wasn't boring or anything. Please review… 


	26. Phase 26: Hanging Out

Akatsuki-hime: I'm so sorry for the very late update. I had so much to do in school that I almost forgot about this story. I would like to thank JC-zala for helping me once again in writing. I'm such a blunderer… Hehe… I hope you guys will understand me and keep supporting my story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed Destiny.

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 26: Hanging Out

It was the day he waited for, Saturday. It was the day he would confess his feelings for the girl he loved and admired. There was no backing out. The plan was already set. But he was quite sure if he was set and ready to go about the whole date. He was waiting at the town center beside the fountain. He was dressed in his rugged yet cool clothes. A wrist band on his right and a silver necklace around his neck really made his stand out. His hair was still unruly but it matched his whole look and style.

Looking at the clock standing on a pole near him, he breathed in deeply as he noticed that it was almost time for Meyrin to show up. He was getting nervous. Sure, he knew a lot about dating girls and stuff, but the thought of spending time with Meyrin was putting a lot of pressure on him.

"Auel!" a familiar voice shouted from a distance, making Auel jumpy. Turning around, he saw the pigtailed girl coming towards him while waving her hand. Gosh, she was an angel in Auel's eyes. She looked stunning in her pink and yellow jacket, and very short pants. On top of her hair lay a cute white cup with shades on it. She carried a white shoulder bag that matches her shoes pretty well. In general, she was hot in those clothes.

"Glad you could make it, Meyrin…" Auel spoke in a soft voice as he admired her from head to toe. His cheeks were turning a little red.

"I thought I was late. I'm glad I was on time." Meyrin giggled sweetly. Then she noticed Auel's attire and liked it very much. "Cool threads, Auel!"

Auel blushed even more at the complimented. "Um… Yeah… Thanks… You look cute in that outfit," he said, trying to cover his face.

"Really?" replied Meyrin, looking pleased. "Thank you so much." She showed a sweet smile to Auel.

And he had always loved her smile. He always felt at peace whenever he sees it. "So, are you ready? We have a long day ahead of us." Auel couldn't wait to start the date. He swore that Meyrin will have a great time with him.

Meyrin nodded. "I'm ready as you are."

_Mall_

Kira was waiting for his girlfriend in front of a dressing room. Lacus had the sudden urge to try on the new dress that was on display in the department store. As she came out of the dressing room with the dress, she modeled in front of Kira and asked him if the dress was okay.

"It looks okay to me," Kira plainly said with his normal smile and tone.

Lacus looked a little frustrated and placed her hands on her hips. "You don't seem to care what I wear…" she muttered.

Kira shook his head instantly. "I didn't mean that. It's just that you always look good in any dress you wear," he said, scratching the back of his head.

The pink-haired girl sighed and said, "For once I would like to hear a better compliment from you… Seems like you're not like other boys." She faced him and smiled angelically.

"Not like other boys?" Kira lightly laughed. "Um…Thanks… I'll take that as a compliment."

_Destiny High School_

It was Saturday and there was still cheerleading practice much to Fllay's dismay. She wanted to spy on Meyrin and Auel to see if things were going smoothly between them. She had gone through a lot of trouble convincing Meyrin to go out with Auel.

She was the next one to perform some routine. She stood up and went in front of her cheerleading team. The girls cheered for her, confident that she would pull another amazing student. She couldn't possibly disappoint them. She raised her arm up high and gestured them from left to right in a fast yet graceful manner. She swayed her hips, twirled around, and performed a cartwheel to the left. As she was back on her feet, she did some serious dance moves and back flipped two times. Once again she twirled and then stopped. She danced gracefully to her own beat in her mind, further impressing the team. When she finished, the team applauded for her superb display.

The coach approached Fllay and smiled. "Wonderful job, Alster-san. I made the right decision in making you captain of the team." She patted her shoulder gently and told her to join the others. "The routine Alster-san had shown you is going to be our routine for the Finals," the coach started explaining.

It was great that her routine was chosen again, but Fllay had other things in her mind like her cousin and Auel. _I wonder what they're doing right now… Darn it! I wanna watch them so badly! _She looked up at her coach and sighed. _I can't possibly skip practice not with the whole team depending on me. _

Meanwhile…

Stellar was up against her coach in a tennis practice match. The scores were even and both parties only need one more point to win. Stellar wasn't planning on giving up so she gave her all in every swing and hit.

"That's the way, Loussier-san! You're doing well!" the coach yelled out as she returned the ball to Stellar.

The blonde managed to catch up with the ball and hit it as hard as she could. She wasn't tired, but she wished the ball would pass the coach. But, as expected, the coach managed to hit the ball back and sent it towards her. It was still game on.

At the side of the tennis court, Shinn was watching his girlfriend play. He had never seen Stellar play so intensely before and it was kinda amazing to watch her play her hardest. "You can do it, Stellar!" he cheered for her.

His voice reached Stellar very well and it boosted her spirit up. Once the ball went to her side again, she spiked the ball and sent it towards the ground on the coach's side of the field. "That's a point for me," she said confidently. Stellar faced Shinn and jumped for joy. "I won, Shinn!"

"I knew you could do it, Stellar. You're a great player." Shinn approached her and gave her a towel.

"Thank you, Shinn, for cheering for me. Your support helped me win."

The coach clapped her hands as she walked up to Stellar. "That was a great game, Loussier-san. I may consider you calling my rival from now on." She giggled and extended her hand to shake. "Let's play some other time and I promise I won't lose next time."

Stellar gladly shook hands with her. "Sure… I'm always ready for a match." She pulled back her hand and hugged her tennis racket like a stuff toy.

When the coach left, Shinn and Stellar sat on the bench and talked for a while. Since practice was over, Shinn planned on taking Stellar to the ice cream shop to refresh a bit.

"Ice cream sounds nice. I could sure use some on this tiring day." Stellar wiped off the sweat on her forehead and placed the towel on her lap. She grabbed her water container and drank a hefty amount of water. "Ah… That felt good."

Though she looked tired, she still had her usual pleasant face. Shinn had always known Stellar for her cheerfulness. It was like he could never go sad when he sees her face. The innocent look matching her bright magenta-colored eyes was a treasure for him. He sometimes thought of Stellar as child with that look.

Stellar turned to Shinn and held his hand. "Let's not sit here and do nothing…" She then stood up and stretched out her arms. "Let's go to that ice cream shop right now." She crossed her arms behind her and smiled.

Shinn smiled back and nodded. "Okay… But you have to change your clothes first." When he said that, he felt like he was her big brother. Of course, he felt kinda weird but what the heck?! He was totally fine with that. Besides, Stellar was kinda like his sister, only more dominating to his heart.

_Cagalli's House_

With nothing better to do, the twins sat in front of the television and watched an Anime. They had popcorn beside them and sodas in their hands. Their eyes were practically glued to the TV, as they don't want to miss a thing from the scenes. It was a relief for them to have a day off from practice. Running was hard and tiring. If it would be your first time trying it, you would faint from serious exhaustion. But Kira and Cagalli were used to the training. They did not become ace players for nothing. Of course, they love running and doing drills, but they also love taking breaks.

"Hey, I'm out of popcorn!" said Cagalli when she reached into her empty bowl. She glanced at Kira's bowl, which was still full. "Mind if I have some?"

Kira nodded without taking his eyes off the screen. "Here ya go," he replied, moving the bowl nearer to Cagalli.

"Thanks." She cupped some popcorn into her mouth and shifted her eyes back at the Anime.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Kira immediately grabbed the remote control for the DVD player and hit paused. "Who could that be?" he grumbled.

"Why don't you go see?"

"How about you go?" Kira slumped down on the couch, pretending to be lazy.

"Come on, we don't have all the day," she retorted, poking Kira's chest non-stop.

The doorbell rang again and this time, Kira stood up and stomped over to the door. He was not in the mood seeing anyone other than the characters in the Anime. It was his favorite one and he didn't like it when there are disturbances. He opened the door and saw his best friend, Athrun. "Err… What are you doing here? Don't you have soccer practice?" he asked.

Athrun shook his head. "We have the day off too," he replied. "And I want to see Cagalli."

Kira's lips curved into a smile. "She's in the living room. Seems like you two are okay now."

"I'm glad everything turned out to be fine."

Athrun walked over to the living room where she saw Cagalli gobbling up a lot of popcorn. For a girl so slim, she could surely eat plenty, he thought. Anyway, he approached the blonde and sat down beside her. "Hey, Cagalli…" he greeted.

Cagalli got surprised to see Athrun there, making her swallow hard. She then breathed deeply and looked up at Athrun. "You're here? Why? Didn't you—"

He knew she was going to say soccer practice like her brother, so he placed a finger on her lip. "I also have the day off and I want to spend this day with you," he said softly.

The blonde blushed in an instant. "Um… I see… Glad to hear that." She smiled tenderly at him, leaned her head on his shoulder, and held his hand.

From the corner of the living room, Kira observed the couple keenly. He was impressed on how the two acted with one another. He had to admit that they reminded him of Lacus and himself. Speaking of Lacus, he wondered what she was doing right now in her mansion. "Should I visit her or not?" he asked himself. "Maybe I should call her first." He pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and dialed Lacus' number.

_To be continued…_

* * *

Akatsuki-hime: Yes, chapter 26 is done! I can't believe I haven't written for a long time. Damn, I got so busy with the School Elections, School Newspaper and everything in school. I wish I had spare time like JC-Zala. Oh yeah, thanks JC-chan for helping me with this chapter. Reviewers, review please and no flaming. Next chapter will be updated soon. 


	27. Phase 27: Fragile Heart

Akatsuki-hime: Yikes! Another late update. I'm so sorry.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed Destiny.

* * *

**Destiny High School **

Phase 27: Fragile Heart

RING! RING! RING!

The telephone at the Clyne Mansion rang. Lacus, who was attending to the flowers in the garden, was unable to hear the ringing noise of the phone. But Meer was inside watching television and she became annoyed with it. She stood, walked over to the phone, and picked it up.

"Hello?!" Meer said grumpily.

"This is Kira Hibiki. May I speak with Lacus please?" Kira replied politely from the other side of the line.

The name Hibiki was very disturbing for her. It reminded her of none other than her rival, Cagalli Yula Hibiki. She would give anything to rid of Cagalli, so she can have Athrun all to herself. It was seemingly impossible for her. From what she gathered, she found out that Cagalli was already Athrun's girlfriend. She nearly cried her heart out after knowing that. It was painful. She had loved Athrun all her life. But her love was never returned.

Suddenly, she came up with an idea—an idea that will surely drive things her way. And to do that, she must use a certain brunette. "Sure, I'll get my sister for you," she replied slyly. It was a good thing that her voice and Lacus' voice sounded alike. It was easy for her to disguise as her sister. "Hello, Kira…"

His lips curved into a smile as he heard her gentle voice. "Lacus, are you free right now?"

"Yes, I am," Meer answered mildly as Lacus would.

"Can we meet somewhere? How about the park?"

"Sure." Meer twirled the telephone wire around her finger. "I'll see you in 30 minutes."

"All right." Kira placed the phone back. "I knew spending time in the mall wasn't good enough. I have to enjoy this whole day with her." He quickly ran upstairs into his room to get ready.

On the other hand, Meer was laughing on how she fooled Kira in thinking that she was Lacus. "Now on to plan B," she snickered. She went into her room and started doing some preparations herself. First, she needed to dress like Lacus. It was a synch since she knew all of Lacus' style. "I'm so gonna have a blast with this plan."

After 30 minutes…

Kira was seated on a bench in the park. He observed some kids playing around in the sandbox. They kinda reminded him of him and Cagalli when they were still kids. Cagalli would usually pour sand in his head for no reason or ruin his sand castle. He would cry and his mother would scold Cagalli. But no matter how many times she was scolded, Cagalli was still playful to him.

"Kira!" a voice called from afar.

He recognized that voice anywhere. It was Lacus. Kira stood up and saw her coming towards him. She was wearing a simple blue dress and white shoes, and she had a curve hairpin on her hair. It was definitely Lacus.

"Lacus, I'm glad you're here."

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting." She stopped right before Kira and smiled. "Let us go."

Kira nodded. "Let's go get some desserts. I know a bakeshop that near here." He entwined his hand with Lacus.

"Oh…" She stared at their hands and then at Kira. "All right."

As the walked towards the exit of the park, Lacus had a strange look on her face. She was smirking. _I've fooled Kira Hibiki completely. My plan is going smoothly. I just have to use Kira to get at Cagalli. If all goes well, Athrun will be mine in no time. _

_Mall _

In the ladies department, Meyrin was trying out the new clothes that had just newly arrived. The clothes were so cute that she couldn't resist trying them on. Normally, she would take her sister, Lunamaria, to shop with her, but she had a new shopping companion now. It was her boyfriend, Auel. While she was in the dressing room, Auel stood outside by the door.

"Thanks for coming with me again," Meyrin said as she put on the yellow tank top.

"No prob!" he replied. "You can always ask me to come with you."

Meyrin examined herself thoroughly in the mirror, checking if the tank top suited her. She didn't know what to say. She decided to show it to Auel and get his opinion. "Auel…" She came out and went in front of him. "How does this look? Does it suit me? I want to know…" She posed rather shyly for him.

Auel was stunned as his jaw dropped. He stared at the clothing for a while before he set his eyes on the red-haired girl. "Meyrin, you look great," he said, letting out a nervous chuckle. He was worried if his compliment was okay for her. From what he learned, one should be careful about giving compliments to a girl. If you say anything funny, you'll be sure to get it.

However, Meyrin felt so glad to hear his compliment. For a second there, she thought that the tank top didn't suit her at all. Since Auel liked it, she decided to purchase it. "I'm going to change. Just wait for a few sec, okay?" she said.

The blue-haired lad nodded. "Take your time."

When Meyrin went back to the dressing room, he spotted someone very familiar from a distance. "Isn't that…?" He took a few steps forward to get a closer look. The guy had purple hair and it was tied in a low ponytail. With that, Auel remembered who the guy was. "Yuuna Seiran!" he muttered roughly but lowly.

Yes, it was Yuuna Seiran, also known as the notorious and perverted guy in Destiny High. He has molested a lot of girls he liked and picked on the weak. But he was not able to do as he pleased with his current interest, Cagalli Yula Hibiki. One thing for sure, Cagalli was better and stronger than him. In addition, Cagalli had guys to protect her, such as Shinn, Kira, and Athrun. There was no way Yuuna can ever make a move on Cagalli.

Auel shrugged. "I wonder what he's doing here in the ladies section." The only possible reason Auel could think of was Yuuna collecting lingerie or something. But he could be wrong.

Yuuna was checking out some blouses and skirts, which was so odd. It also seemed that he wanted to buy them. Why would a guy want to buy girl clothes? Unless Yuuna planned to buy them for someone, seeing him in a dress would be totally wrong. That would make him weirder and freakier.

"I can never guess what he's thinking," Auel said with a sigh. Well, he decided to leave that freak alone and went back to the dressing rooms to wait for Meyrin.

_Public Library _

Miriallia wasn't the type that you would call a nerd. In fact, she was no nerd. She was just studious. As an honor student and class representative, she has to see to her that her grades were always high. Studying was pretty tiresome for her, but she does enjoy once in a while. And studying in a library was perfect for her. There was silence and nobody would find her there.

As she browsed a book on Anthropology, she heard thumping sounds which sounded like some books had fell on a person. She went to check it out only to find Dearka lying on the floor with books on his chest.

"Dearka, what are you doing here?" she muttered, kneeling down beside him. She took the books off of him and placed it back on the shelves.

The tan guy chuckled nervously as he stood up. "I was just looking for a book to read. I was kinda bored at home." The truth was he wanted to see Miriallia and be with her for the whole day.

"I can recommend you a good book," said Miriallia. "Follow me…" She walked off, pulling Dearka to her seat.

Dearka noticed several books piled up on the desk as well as notebooks, papers, and a pen. "This is where you study, huh? You're one responsible student." And sometimes he wished he could be someone like that. Unfortunately, he was a slacker.

"Responsible?" Miriallia giggled. "I heard that a lot from different people." She picked up a book from the table and handed it to Dearka.

"What's this?" He took the book in his hand and stared at its title which read _Count of Monte Cristo_. He wasn't familiar with the title or the author. Heck, he wasn't even a bookworm in the first place. How could he know such book? "What's this novel all about?"

"I'm not telling you." She sat down and winked an eye. "You must read and find out for yourself. I also don't want to be a spoiler."

"EH…" His face slumped down, realizing how thick the book was. It would take him months to finish that book. All he wanted was to see Miriallia and he ended up borrowing a book from the library. "I guess I have no choice then." He took a seat beside Miriallia, opened the book, and started reading quietly.

Miriallia briefly glanced at him and smiled. She was, in fact, happy to have Dearka as company. The library was getting surprisingly boring for her. She was grateful that Dearka came. At least, she would feel more comfortable than before.

_Hibiki House _

POP! POP! POP!

The popcorn was popping loudly inside the microwave. When it was ready, Cagalli got it out and poured the popcorn in a bowl. The popcorn sure had an amazing aroma that made Cagalli's mouth water. She immediately took the bowl to the living room and sat down on the couch beside Athrun.

"What took you?" Athrun asked, raising the remote to the DVD player.

"The popcorn was way slow," she retorted, cuffing some popcorn into her hand. "Anyway, just play the anime. I wanna watch more!" She stuffed them all in her mouth and glued her eyes on the TV screen.

Athrun shrugged. "Okay…" He pressed the play button and watched the anime as well.

A few minutes later, Kira and Lacus arrived and joined the couple in the living room. Lacus, who was actually Meer, was a bit surprised to see Athrun there. She had the sudden urge to hug him, but she had to control herself. She was Lacus at the moment. If she were to blow her cover, then her plan would be ruined.

"Hello there you two," she greeted with a smile, though inside she was fuming. She reminded herself that Lacus was a good friend to all. "I see you two are enjoying each other's company." She hated herself for saying that.

Cagalli shrugged. "I guess…" She picked up popcorn from the bowl and threw it into her mouth. "Kira, aren't you going to take her to a dating place or something? Don't tell me you're planning to spend time with her here?" She shot Kira a death glare. She wanted to spend the day alone with Athrun and having others in the house was so out of the question.

Kira chuckled nervously. His sister's glare was really something to be feared of. "I know. It's just that there's nothing to do outside. I figured that we could all spend some quality time together." He sat down beside Lacus and held her hand.

Meer felt jumpy after feeling his hand and her heart pounded rapidly. She didn't know why she was feeling this way. As she looked up at Kira, she saw his glimmering amethyst eyes full of compassion. She knew that in his eyes, he was seeing the one he loved and that was her sister. Gradually, her cheeks turned red.

"AH! She's blushing!" Cagalli pointed out.

"What? Me, blushing? That' can't be…" The pink-haired girl held her cheek and smiled warmly. "Maybe I'm just…" She giggled.

Suddenly, Cagalli shoved the bowl of popcorn to Meer and said, "Want some? The next movie is going to start. Let's watch."

Popcorn wasn't really on her diet, but she couldn't refuse. She ate some popcorn and watched the movie together with Cagalli, her beloved Athrun, and Kira.

Time flew and before they knew it, it was already 6:00 PM. The skies were getting pretty dark. Meer told Kira that it was time for her to go home. She was sure that Lacus would be worried if she doesn't go home in time for dinner.

"I'll walk with you, Lacus," he said, standing up. He took hold of her hand and pulled her up.

"Thank you," she replied, thinking how sweet Kira was. Everything about him seemed so nice. The way he looked at her and the way he touches her were so remarkable. She felt envious of her sister for having such a good boyfriend.

"Take care, you two," Athrun said, catching Meer's attention.

As she looked at Athrun, she suddenly remembered why she posed as Lacus in the first place. She wanted to hit herself for forgetting her plan. Because of her rival's twin brother, she started having mix emotions—emotions she couldn't explain. Well, there was nothing she could do about it. She waved a hand to the couple and said, "Thank you for having me over. You take care as well." She bowed her head politely like Lacus would.

On their way back home, Meer was awfully quiet to Kira that it was getting very awkward. She wasn't the type to shut her mouth for a long period. But, for the first time ever, she didn't know what to talk about. She hoped that Kira wouldn't mind the silence.

"Lacus," he spoke up.

Meer shrieked a little but still managed to maintain composure. "What is it?" she asked.

"We're here," he said.

She looked up and saw her mansion. She was thinking so deeply that she didn't realize where they were. That was silly of her. She turned to Kira and smiled. "Thank you for escorting me, Kira."

"You're welcome. So, I'll see you tomorrow at school."

"Okay, see ya…" she murmured softly.

She was about to turn around to inside when Kira grabbed her wrist. Slowly, she looked at him and saw a wonderful smile on his face. She was struck with that emotion again. Her heart pounded like it wanted to burst. "_What is this? My chest feels tight." _

He wrapped his arms around her waist without taking his eyes off of her blue eyes. He was really getting into the mood. He tucked her hair behind her ear and held her cheek with care. "I love you…" he said, sending chills to Meer's spine.

It was the first time that a guy ever said that to her. She blushed as a smile came to her face. She was indeed happy. However, she knew very well that his words were meant for Lacus. She shouldn't be fooled by her emotions. Kira was her sister's boyfriend and she had no right to even be with him. She just pretended to be Lacus in order to make her plan a success. So, she was willing to do it again—she was willing to act again until she gets Athrun.

"I love you too, Kira," she replied to him.

Kira leaned in and kissed her passionately on the lips.

Shockingly, Meer didn't stop him. She even deepened the kiss even more. It was like she didn't care if her first kiss wasn't Athrun. She felt so happy just to be able to share a kiss with a guy like Kira. It was so enthralling.

_To be continued…_

* * *

Akatsuki-hime: There you have it! I want to say sorry to the Kira/Lacus fans for this chapter. There were a lot of Kira/Meer moments here. So sorry about that… Anyway, please review and no flaming. 


	28. Phase 28: The Tears and the Smiles

Akatsuki-hime: Wah! I got scolded by a fellow writer. She said that I was being lazy. But she's right in saying that I should finish what I've started. I'm really sorry for the very later update. It won't happen again, I promise. Kyahhh! I knew it. A lot of you hated the Kira-kissing-Meer-part. I'm so sorry about that. It's just a wild idea that I wanted to write about. Rest assured, Kira still loves Lacus.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam SEED Destiny. This chapter is co-authored by JC-zala (the author who scolded me).

* * *

**Destiny High School**

Phase 28: The Tears and the Smiles

It was the first time that a guy ever said "I love you," to her directly. Meer Campbell blushed as a smile came to her face. She was indeed happy. However, she knew very well that his words were meant for Lacus. She shouldn't be fooled by her emotions. Kira Yamato was her sister's boyfriend and she had no right to even be with him. She just pretended to be Lacus in order to make her plan a success. So, she was willing to do it again—she was willing to act again until she gets Athrun.

"I love you too, Kira," she replied to him.

Kira leaned in and kissed her passionately on the lips.

Shockingly, Meer didn't stop him. She even deepened the kiss even more. It was like she didn't care if her first kiss wasn't Athrun. She felt so happy just to be able to share a kiss with a guy like Kira. It was so enthralling.

Unknown to them, someone was watching them from behind the tree, which was not so far from the entrance. She was appalled by such a sight that tears formed in her crystal blue eyes. Her heart felt liked it got shattered in a million pieces. She couldn't even move or run away—even if she wanted to. But she felt so weak and her legs and her hands were trembling. She dropped to her knees, shifting her eyes away from the couple, and stared at the cold ground. She wrapped herself around so tightly, letting the tears streamed down her eyes.

"Kira…" she muttered her love's name before she buried her face in her palms. "Why? Why my sister? Don't you love me anymore?" She lowered her head and cried more. Her long-flowing pink hair dropped gracefully to the sides of her face, not caring about anything at the moment. All she wanted was an answer to her questions.

After bidding each other farewell, Kira left the premises of the Clyne Estate and Meer went inside the mansion. The pink-haired actress went straight to her room, removed the curved-shaped hairpin, and hopped onto the bed. She sighed deeply, relieved that the day was over. She admitted to herself that posing as Lacus was very hard. She had to act all kind and stuff even to Cagalli whom she hated the most. And she was fairly impressed with Kira.

"He was so sweet, kind, and thoughtful. It's no wonder Lacus fell in love with him," she said, heaving a sigh once more. Then she touched her lips and remembered the moment they just shared a while ago. She blushed at the thought and giggled nervously. "I can't believe I just kissed him. That was my…f-first k-kiss…"

She was hoping to get her first kiss from Athrun. Well, she had to kiss Kira at that time in order for her not to blow her cover. But, as she thought about it more, she could've just made up an excuse so she couldn't kiss him at that time. "Why was I foolish?!" she bickered, sitting up and hugging her pillow. She touched her lips yet again and blushed. "The way he kissed me was so natural. He really believed that I was Lacus."

_School (Music Room) _

The Choir members were all gathered in the room to practice for their performance next week. As usual, they were expecting Lacus to sing a solo for the performance since her voice, according to many, was so angelic. They have never once doubted Lacus and her voice. It was a blessing to have her as a member of the choir.

The pianist started playing the tune and everyone started singing, except for the pink-haired Lacus. The pianist, who was also the moderating teacher of the choir, stopped and turned to Lacus. "What's the matter Clyne-san? Not feeling well? You're the one who's usually excited about the performance."

Lacus let out a small and frail smile and said, "Actually, I am feeling a little dizzy. I wasn't able to get some sleep last night." She spoke in her usual cheery tune so the teachers and her fellow members won't suspect a thing from her.

"Then you better skip practice this time and get some rest," the teacher said kindly. "I don't want my star singer getting sick."

"My, thank you so much," replied Lacus, giggling. Without another word, Lacus left the music room and walked through the hallways. She stopped mid-way and leaned her back against the wall. She stooped down and sighed deeply. "I wish I could forget about last night."

Just then, Cagalli came out from a nearby classroom and saw Lacus in her sad state. Worried, she approached the pink-haired girl and greeted her with a simple, "Hello, Lacus! What's with the long face?"

Lacus quickly put on her smile. "Hello there, Cagalli-san! Umm…I was just thinking about something."

"Don't tell me," Cagalli said, smirking. "You were thinking about Kira, right?"

Cagalli guessed it right all right. But Lacus wasn't thinking good thoughts about Kira. "Cagalli-san, what does Kira think of my sister?" She really didn't want to talk about it, but she wanted to confirm something.

"Huh? You mean Meer? He doesn't say anything Meer."

"Are you certain?"

"Yeah… Why?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just wondering that's all." She mentally scolded herself for lying to Cagalli, but she didn't want anyone to know about her problems. "Cagalli-san, where is Kira right now?"

"Kira's probably at the library," Cagalli answered. "He said that he needed a book for his report tomorrow."

Lacus excused herself properly from Cagalli and walked off to the library. When she reached her destination, she went inside and searched for Kira. She checked each aisle and finally found him in the literature area. To her dismay, she saw him kissing her twin sister passionately on the lips. Lacus couldn't believe it. Her heart sank immediately and tears stung her eyes. "Kira…No…"

She spun around and ran out of the library. She ran blindly down the hallways and tripped on her own foot. She plummeted to the floor. Tears dropped on the floor. She didn't make any effort to stand. She was too distressed.

_Hibiki Residence (Next Day) _

Kira forked a bite dripping with syrup into his mouth. "You know, Lacus is making the first move lately. Yesterday, she suddenly hugged me at the cafeteria. At the library, she kissed me."

"Well, that's because she loves you so much," Cagalli said.

"I thought Lacus was supposed to conservative. She's kind of acting like her twin sister."

"Speaking of Meer, Lacus asked me about your opinions on her." She reached for the plate of pancakes. "So, tell me, what do you think of Meer Campbell, aside from the fact she's annoying?"

"She's unique and beautiful like Lacus. Although her personality is different from Lacus, I think she's still a great girl."

Cagalli gave him a sharp look. "Great girl, huh?"

"Of course, Lacus is the best for me."

"I knew you would say that."

When the twins left the house, they saw Lacus waiting by the gate. They noticed her sad expression.

"Hi there, Lacus!" greeted Cagalli. "You had the same expression on yesterday. Something is definitely wrong with you."

"Lacus, if there's a problem, please tell me," Kira said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

The pink-haired girl sighed and looked at Cagalli. "I have to talk with Kira alone. I hope you don't mind going ahead, Cagalli-san."

Cagalli felt that it was a serious, so she didn't have qualms about it. "All right… I'll see you two at school." With that, she ran off.

"What is it you want to talk about, Lacus?" Kira worriedly asked.

Lacus lowered her gaze from him. "Kira, I want you to answer me honestly. Why did you kiss my sister?" She clasped her school bag tightly.

Kira's grew wide in surprise. "I kissed your sister? When did that happen? I don't recall such a thing."

"Please don't lie to me, Kira. I saw you two kissed the other night in front of my house." She couldn't control the tears from coming out. "And I saw you two kissed yesterday at the library."

"That was your sister? I-I didn't know. I thought it was you."

Lacus looked at him. "So, you actually thought Meer was me?" She felt more hurt. "I can't believe this."

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to hurt you, Lacus." He reached out to touch her.

But Lacus backed away. "Kira, don't come near me for a while… I need some space…" She clamped her mouth with one hand. "I can't bear being with you like this…" She turned around and ran away from him.

Kira didn't have the will to go after her. "What have I done?" he muttered. "I can't believe I kissed Meer without realizing it. I should have known she wasn't Lacus. I should have known…"

"And why are you blaming yourself?" a strict voice spoke up.

Kira turned his head to the direction of the voice and saw Fllay. "Fllay? Since when did you—"

"It's not your fault why you kissed Campbell. Besides, Campbell and Clyne look exactly alike. You can't tell them apart easily." Fllay approached Kira and crossed her arms. "You know, I bet that Campbell has something up her sleeve. I'm sure she's only being close to you in order to get back at your sister. But she doesn't seem to realize that she's making Clyne sad."

"Fllay, what should we do about this? I don't want Lacus to be so sad."

"I'll deal with Campbell. You reconcile with Lacus."

_To be continued…_

_

* * *

_Akatsuki-hime: Woah! I've finally updated chapter 28. The main focus of this chapter was Kira, Lacus, and Meer. Meer is certainly having budding feelings for Kira. Fllay will do something about her. Hopefully, Kira would be able to make up for his mistake. There will be a MirialliaxDearka fluff moment in the next chapter. Again, I'm real sorry for the late update. I'll update by next week. Please review. No flaming.


	29. Phase 29: An Apology and Love

Akatsuki-hime: This story is nearing an end. It's already chapter 29. I think this will be the second to the last chapter. Since everyone's a couple here already. The only ones having problems are Lacus, Kira, and Meer. Of course, we'll be having a moment for Miriallia and Dearka here too.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam SEED Destiny.

* * *

**Destiny High School **

Phase 29: An Apology and Love

Kira found Lacus sitting at the corner of the library that morning. "Hi, Lacus," he said. "How are you?"

Lacus didn't speak to him. She merely past him and left the library quietly. It may be a cold act to do, but Lacus' heart was in so much pain at the moment.

With Lacus being so distant to him, Kira didn't know what else to do.

"May I sit with you, Kira?" Meer asked the brunette at lunch. "The other tables are pretty full." She showed him one gracious smile. She was pretending to be Lacus again, with the hairclip and all.

Kira looked up from his vegetable soup, looking rather serious. He knew it was Meer. The real Lacus didn't even want to talk to him. "Meer, quit the act. I know it's you."

Meer sighed and sat down on the chair beside him. "You got me there," she said, leaning her cheek on her hand. "I guess there's no more use for this." She removed the curved hairclip and put on her star hairclip.

"Lacus saw us kissing. Now she's avoiding me." Kira clenched the spoon in his hand real hard. "Why? Why did you have to do it, Meer? Do you enjoy fooling people or hurting your sister's feelings?"

"No…" Meer shook her head. She was actually surprised to hear that Lacus found out about her little act. "I didn't mean to hurt Lacus. It's just that I got attracted to you too, Kira."

"So, you flirted with me because you're of that?" Kira dropped the spoon and brushed his hands through his hair uneasily. "Didn't you stop and think about what your sister may feel?"

"I didn't think I'd be caught," Meer said, turning her head away. "I'm sorry… I really didn't mean to hurt Lacus." She stood up and left the cafeteria.

As she reached the stairs, she found Fllay Alster sitting on the steps with her arms crossed in front of her chest. Meer immediately put on a stern face. "You?! What are you doing here?!"

Fllay stood up and placed a hand on her waist. "I was looking for you, Campbell," she said. "We need to talk."

"Look, I'm in no mood to talk or even argue with you, so stand aside," Meer demanded, and Fllay shrugged. "I'm dead serious, Alster."

Fllay wasn't going to beat around the bush anymore. When dealing with Meer, it was always best to be straight to the point. "You pretended to be Clyne, spent time with her boyfriend, and stole a few kisses from him," she said. "I can't believe how pathetic you are. If you wanted to get back at Cagalli Yula Hibiki, you should have confronted her directly and not by using her brother."

"I'm not aiming to get rid of that girl anymore…" Meer said, turning her back to Fllay. "And I think I've lost interest in Athrun. Besides, no matter what I do, I know that Athrun can never be mine." Her eyes were almost neared to tears.

"What? You're not in love with Athrun Zala anymore? That's impossible." Fllay was seriously appalled. "Don't tell me you're after Kira now?"

Silence was all Meer could give.

"Campbell, answer me!" Fllay approached her and grabbed her shoulder. "Hey, look at me when I'm talking to you."

Meer gritted her teeth. "Let go of me, bitch!" She slapped Fllay's hand away and shot her a glare. "Okay, I admit it! I'm in love with Kira now. That Cagalli can have Athrun all to herself for all I care." Tears have welled up in her eyes.

Fllay was taken aback. It was her first time to see Meer cry in front of her. The pink-haired girl sounded so serious, yet somehow Fllay felt that she was only forced to say it. "Campbell, are you sure about your feelings? Do you really love Kira? Or is it just because—"

"Oh, shut up!" Meer cut her off. "And leave me alone!" She was about to run but Fllay caught her wrist. "Let me go, Alster!" Before she knew it, the red-head slapped her across the face so hard.

"You were irritating before," Fllay said, folding her arms, "but you're more irritating now. This isn't like you."

"Alster…"

"You wanted Athrun Zala by getting rid of Cagalli, so you pretended to be Lacus to get close to Kira. Am I wrong?" Fllay could see the anxiety building up in her eyes. "But you didn't expect to fall for Kira, did you?"

Meer slowly nodded her head. "Kira's so nice and all and it's not hard to like him." She was getting out of character, but she didn't care. It was about time to let her feelings out—even if she was facing her rival. "I don't know if this is love or not, but I do know that I became fond of him."

"Campbell, you do understand that Kira is Clyne's boyfriend, right?"

"Yes…"

"And you know how much the two love each other, right?"

"Stop it… You're only making me feel worse."

Fllay sighed in frustration. "I don't know why, but I don't like seeing you like this. It's so not like you. The Campbell I know was always pushy and strong-headed."

"I'm not always like that. I can be weak too."

"Pull yourself together. I can't believe I'm saying this but you're not weak. You may be flirty and annoying, but you're never weak. Do you I have to slap you again to make you realize that? I figured that you're confused. You don't know what your heart is telling you anymore."

Meer wiped away the tears with her hand and faced Fllay more properly. "I'm not that lucky when it comes to love. I've lost Athrun to another girl and the guy I'm crushing on right now is my sister's boyfriend."

"And you've managed to hurt your sister."

The actress heaved a deep sigh. "I guess so… I'm so stupid."

Fllay let out a slight chuckle, and Meer raised a brow. "I can't believe that the aristocratic Meer Campbell is calling herself stupid. I wished I had a video cam with me right now."

Meer rolled her eyes away. "Whatever, Alster…"

"Here's an advice for you. Settle your feelings with Zala and make up with your sister and Kira."

"I don't know if I could do that."

"Did you flush your confidence down the toilet? Come on, don't talk like that. You've got to act now and settle things on your own. You'll be miserable for life if you don't, though I won't really mind."

"And what's that supposed to mean, Alster?" Meer's usual tone of voice was back, and Fllay smiled. "Ah, you're smiling. That is so creepy."

Fllay slapped her back and shrugged. "I'm here wasting my time helping you get back on your feet and you insult me. How quaint of you, Campbell. Well, at least, you're back to your old self." She spun on her heels. "You have to make things right again. Don't mess up or else you'll have to answer to me." With that statement, she walked off.

Meer flipped her hair in irritation. "Same old Fllay Alster," she grumbled, and then smiled. "But she isn't so bad."

_Later that day… _

At the end of class, Kira bolted for the door and headed for Lacus' classroom. He searched for Lacus there, but she was nowhere to be found. It seemed like she had already left. Thinking she was in the music room, Kira went to the club rooms. He caught a glimpse of Lacus entering the music room and quickened his pace. Just as he was about to call her name, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Just what I needed, another pair of arms!"

Kira, startled, looked up to see Mr. Arnold Neumann, his arms full of folders, peering down at him.

"Here," the teacher said. "You can help me carry these to the sports club rooms."

Kira sighed, but it was impossible to refuse gracefully. He accepted the stack of folders and followed the teacher back down the hall. But when he finished his duty with the teacher, he went back to the music room. Unfortunately, he found no traces of Lacus there.

"She already left?" he murmured to himself.

"Hey, Kira," Cagalli greeted him. "I heard about what happened with you and Lacus from Fllay."

"You must think I'm such a loser for not being able to tell the sisters apart, huh?"

Cagalli shook her head. "You're only human. You can make mistakes. Besides, your girlfriend and that Campbell really do look alike. It's hard to tell them apart if you don't look closely."

"Still, I should have known better," Kira said, his eyes frail. "I feel horrible. Lacus got hurt."

"But you didn't mean it," Cagalli said. "If you talk to her properly, I'm sure she would understand." She patted Kira's shoulder.

"Yeah, you're right," Kira agreed.

"You better get going, Kira," Cagalli said, giving him a push forward. "I saw Lacus walking out of the building a while ago."

"Okay, thanks, Cagalli…" He then started to run.

Lacus had almost reached the school gate when Kira grabbed her arm.

"Lacus, wait!"

The pink-haired girl spun around, astonished. "Kira?" she sputtered.

"We need to talk," he firmly said, and Lacus turned her gaze away. "Please, Lacus. Please listen to what I have to say."

At this point, Meer appeared and said, "I also have something to say." She sounded solemn. "I know I did something unforgivable."

Lacus drew a deep breath, trying to make her heart stop pounding. "Meer, why did you pretend to be me in the first place?" she asked.

"I was trying to get back at Cagalli for stealing Athrun away from me by getting close to Kira," Meer explained. "But my plan didn't go so well. Surprisingly, I found myself falling for Kira."

Lacus gaped at him. "So, you like Kira…" she muttered.

"I like him, but I don't think it's love or anything. To tell you the truth, I just grew fond of him." While she was saying that, her heart felt a stinging pain. "I acted all clingy to him because it's in my nature."

"But those kisses seemed—"

"I don't have the same kind of feelings you have for him, Lacus," Meer said with pride and confidence. "Just get that straight, okay? I'm quite tired of explaining myself already. And please don't avoid Kira anymore. He's really a nice guy and I think you're pretty lucky to have him as a boyfriend."

"Meer…"

Meer placed a hand on Lacus' head and smiled. "You don't have to worry about me snatching you're boyfriend away. I'm not that low. Besides, you're my sister. It hurts me to see you hurt, you know." She brushed her fingers through Lacus' hair and then caressed her cheek. "So, I hope you'll forgive me for the things I've done. I swear I'll never do them again."

Lacus could see how sincere Meer was because of her eyes. "Meer, I was never angry at you…" she muttered, taking Meer's hand, gently rubbing it. "I was merely upset and a little—"

"Jealous?" Meer continued for her, and Lacus started crying. "It's normal for a girl to feel that way when she sees her boyfriend with another girl." She then shifted her gaze at Kira and smiled tenderly at him.

"Meer, I'm glad you explained things well to Lacus," Kira said.

The actress shrugged and approached him. Pointing a finger at his chest, she said, "I would do anything to make Lacus happy. You better take good care of her or else, you got that?" She faked a cough as her cheeks turned a little red. "And another thing… About the things I've said a while ago… You know, about me growing fond of you… I want you to forget all about it. Never tell anyone about it either. That's an order from me."

Kira sighed. "I won't. I promise." He then showed Meer a very handsome yet gentle smile that made her heart skip a beat.

Meer felt her eyes getting teary, but she still put up a good front. "Well, I have to go now. I'm quite needed in the drama club. You two should have a good talk." After saying that, Meer left them immediately and went inside the school building. As she reached the lockers, she stopped and started crying.

Feel weak, Meer leaned her back against the lockers and slid down to the floor. "It hurts…" she murmured, looking up at the ceiling. She has fallen for Kira, but it pained her to know that he can never be hers. Kira belonged to her sister. "Lacus, be happy with Kira. You're so lucky."

"Campbell, what's wrong?" a familiar voice spoke to her.

Slowly, Meer turned towards the direction of the voice and found Athrun Zala standing a few inches away from her. "A-Athrun?" Her eyes grew wide as she realized she was showing her tears to him. Hurriedly, she wiped the tears away and stood up with poise. "Oh, my… It seems like you caught me practicing one of my scenes." She faked a smile.

Athrun sensed that there was something wrong with her. "Those tears… Campbell, you were crying, weren't you?" he asked.

"Of course, I was crying. But it was all an act. I like practicing by myself at any place, at any time. That's how professional I am." She spoke so big with full of self-confidence to mask her real emotions.

"Is that so? Well, since you're okay, would you mind moving away from my locker?"

Meer thought back about what Fllay told her. "Hmm… Wait, can you spare me a minute, Athrun?" she said, twirling a lock of her hair. "I have something I want to say to you."

Athrun raised a brow. "If this is going to be another confession, then forget it," he coldly said.

Pouting, Meer shook her head. "I've decided to give up on you, Athrun!" she uttered. "After all, you're madly in love that that blondie, so I don't stand a chance."

Emerald eyes went wide in a second. "What? Are you serious about that?"

"Do you doubt my words, Athrun?" she said.

"I don't know. I think you're up to—"

"Enough!" Meer demanded, crossing her arms. "I've given up on you and that's final. Don't make me repeat myself, Athrun."

Athrun became silent. For a little while she stared at Meer and then he noticed something. He reached out for her face and wiped a small tear from her eye with his finger. "Campbell, you're crying," he said.

Meer backed away. "I'm not crying. That tears was just something from a while ago. You saw me practicing, didn't you?"

Athrun narrowed his eyes. "You're shedding more tears…"

Meer realized that and looked down at the floor. "Why am I always the unlucky one?" she asked. "I lost you first and then I lost Kira."

Athrun looked confused. "Kira?" What does he have to do with Meer?

"You must feel happy now seeing me like this," Meer said. "I've been such a pain to you for so long, so I know that you're relieved that I'm giving up on you."

Athrun shook his head. "I considered your flirting annoying, but I don't feel happy at all seeing you cry."

Meer met his gaze again. "You're just saying that. I know you hate me, Athrun."

"I don't like your attitude sometimes, but it doesn't mean I hate you as a person," Athrun explained.

"Stop saying such things," Meer said, flushing red.

"Campbell, I was quite flattered that you were in love with me and I admired your determination," Athrun said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You were willing to do anything just to get my attention. But I'm really sorry. I couldn't return your feelings, so I understand why you're giving up."

Meer couldn't help smiling at his sincerity. Despite having unrequited feelings for her, Athrun was still being nice to her. "Don't make me regret my decision now," she said, brushing Athrun's hand away from her shoulder. She was no longer crying. "Athrun, if it's okay with you, let's be friends from now on." She held out her hand to shake.

"This is shocking, but I'm glad," Athrun said, shaking hands with her. "I accept your friendship, Campbell."

Unknown to the two, Cagalli was hiding behind the lockers, eavesdropping on their conversation. _I find it shocking myself that Campbell decided to quit chasing Athrun… I guess Kira had so much effect on her. Well, it's good that it turned out for the best in the end. _

_Newspaper Room (Next Day)_

Dearka was going to do it today. It took him the whole night to find the right things to do and to say. He wasn't backing out. It was now or never. He slowly walked towards Miriallia, who was diligently working on an article in her laptop, and tapped her shoulder. "Uhm… May I have a minute with you, Miriallia?"

"Sure," she answered. She turned around in her swivel chair to face him. "What do you want?"

"I-I have an extra coupon here for a free meal at an All You Can Eat Buffet," he said while showing her the coupon. "And I was wondering if you would like to go with me on Saturday."

"Wait a minute… Are you asking me out on a date?" she asked.

Dearka chuckled to ease his anxiety. "Well…yes… I'm asking you out on a date."

"Why?"

"That' because I…"

"Because you?"

Dearka was blushing at this point. Could he possible tell her about his feelings now or should he save it for the date? But Miriallia was asking him for a reason. He didn't want to lie to her.

"Hey, you don't have to act so nervous, Dearka," Miriallia said, patting his shoulder. "That's not like you. Anyway, I know you're asking me out because we're friends, right? Friends love to hang out."

And Dearka's heart sank. _I'm only a friend to her? _Yeah, they've been friends for so long. However, he was in love with her. It was about time he should tell her. "Miriallia, I'm asking you out not because we're simply friends." His expression was calm and serious.

"Is that so?"

Dearka drew in a deep breath. "Miriallia, I asked you out on a date because I love you," he said. "I've been in love with you ever since I've met you. I want you to be my girlfriend."

Miriallia stared at him in surprise. She didn't speak.

He caught a glimpse of her expression and his heart fell. She had the look of disappointment. Her smile had turned upside down and her eyes were almost emotionless. "I want to hear your reply," he said, swallowing hard.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, and Dearka's eyes grew wide. "I can't go out with you." She faced her laptop again and started typing.

It was his first time to see Miriallia acting so cold to him. But what broke his heart the most was the fact that she rejected him. "I see…" he said, holding back his tears. "Okay, I understand. I guess I'll see you later…" He sniffed then turned around and ran outside of the room.

He sat down on a bench at the back of the school. He was broken hearted. He should have known that Miriallia would reject him.

_To be continued…_

_

* * *

_Akatsuki-hime: I never said that the DearkaxMilly moments would be sweet. Miriallia was kinda harsh on Dearka here, but she has her reasons. You'll find out about it in the next chapter. Oh, the next one is the final one. All couples would be there, so expect a lot of romance. I can't believe this story is coming to an end at last. Please send in the reviews. No flaming.


End file.
